Oracle's Destiny
by Sapphire5
Summary: Sequel to "Suzaku's Orakuru"
1. Part One: An Emperor's Gift

Disclaimer:

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Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play was created by Yu Watase, who has real claim to it, along with people at Pioneer Entertainment, Shogakukan, Flower Comics, Bandai, Studio Pierrot, TV Tokyo, and anyone else on this seemingly endless list that I forgot to mention. Fushigi Yugi characters were used without permission. This story was created for other Fushigi Yugi fans to enjoy. No money is being made from this fic.  
  
Overall Warnings:

Language (Tasuki's a main character, what do you expect?) and adult situations. Rated PG-13.

Notes:

Hi! Sapphire again. If you haven't read "Suzaku's Orakuru" then stop right now! You are about to read "Oracles of the Four Gods: Oracle's Destiny", which is not just a sequel to "Suzaku's Orakuru", but a continuation of it. As with "Suzaku's Orakuru" there will be thirty chapters to this story, but each chapter will never exceed more than 4 pages worth on a word processor. Though most of my readers might not mind having more lengthy chapters, as the author, I find having these frequent chapter breaks helpful with things like pacing and movement (just in case you were curious as to why I do this). As I said before, this will be a continuation of "Suzaku's Orakuru" and the narration will pick up two days after the events in the final chapter of "Suzaku's Orakuru".

Introduction:

The four stars of the Four Gods are about to align, and those who serve Suzaku are hurrying to discover this cosmic event's importance before it's too late. Complicating matters, the evil entity Suzaku warned about has become a very real and dangerous threat… 

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part One ~ An Emperor's Gift

Part One ~ An Emperor's Gift

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"I was waiting for you." Aneko turned around and there was Danno. He was sitting at her kitchen table in her apartment. A long box with a red ribbon tied around it lay on the table top.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, confused.

"We had a date, remember?" he returned. So, she was dreaming again. "I told you last time I'd prove it's safe for you to love me again. I know it had to hurt when I left. Believe me, I didn't want to leave. It wasn't my choice."

"I know," Aneko said. "It was the rain, I guess. It was dangerous weather to drive in." Danno seemed confused.

"Whatever they told you, whatever you think happened, it's not true," he finally said. He didn't understand. He thought he was still alive. The funniest part was, he was only a ghost of Danno, a memory that existed only in her dreams. She supposed it was useless to try and convince him he was dead. He was so sure he wasn't dead. Maybe he wasn't, not really, in her heart. "I brought you these," he said, indicating the long box with the red ribbon. Aneko stepped over and untied the bow. Then she lifted the cover of the box to reveal six long stem red roses. "I thought we'd go back, make a kind of fresh start," he said. Aneko sighed.

"They're beautiful," she said. "Thank-you."

*****

It had only been two days since returning to the palace, but since their arrival, Tasuki, Chichiri, and Aneko had been immersed in a flurry of activity. Aneko was quite surprised to find herself with a little spare time at midmorning, and so she found herself a quiet spot to sit in the court gardens. She decided it was high time she take a moment to think and reflect on the course her life was taking. Being Orakuru was an enormous undertaking, and she had spent little time taking into account the responsibility of her position. There were so many questions she had, and concerns, too. Just the idea of dealing with them overwhelmed her. She wished she could talk things over with someone. Right away she considered Chichiri might find some time for her, but after that strange incident on Mt. Daikyoku, she was reluctant to ask it of him. Empress Houki would listen, she knew, but the kind Empress knew less about her situation than she did herself. Tasuki, as a confidant, was out of the question. He had absolutely no patience for discussion.

Suddenly she noticed a pair of hazel eyes staring out at her from among the nearby hedgerow. She wasn't afraid of them, however. Aneko slipped off the bench and got on her hands and knees and crawled toward the eyes and smiled when she saw it was, indeed, who'd she'd suspected it to be. She sat back on her knees, and held out a hand.

"Please come out, Prince Boushin," she asked with quiet kindness. The little boy answered with a giggle, then scrambled out, planting himself in her lap. "What in the heavens were you doing in that bush?" Aneko inquired curiously.

"Playin' hide an' seek," the prince replied with a shrug.

"Hide and seek?" Aneko was surprised. He was supposed to have his entourage of nannies and guards with him at all times, but they were nowhere to be seen. She smiled. The little sneak had managed to give them the slip, she supposed.

"Who're you?" the little prince asked in his most regal tone of voice.

"I'm Aneko, Suzaku no Orakuru," she told him. "Do you know what that means?"

"Hai," Boushin replied. "You're here to save me like you saved me 'afore."

"You remember that?" Aneko asked surprised. "I didn't think you would. It was pretty scary, and sometimes that makes people forget." She mentally winced, having reminded herself about other problems she was too busy to deal with properly.

"Not me," the young prince assured her. "Mama said you got hurt."

"I did. That's why I decided to go away with Chichiri and Tasuki. They took me to Mt. Daikyoku. Taiitsukun, who lives there, healed me."

"That was a good idea," the little prince said with a decisive nod.

"What was?" Aneko asked, wondering what he knew of Taiitsukun and Mt. Daikyoku.

"Going with Chiri," he replied. "Chiri's good at taking care of me. Did Chiri take good care of you, too?"

"He did," Aneko agreed with a smile. She remembered how the boy had clung to Chichiri right after the demon's attack. The young prince was apparently very fond of the wandering monk.

"Are you better now?" the Prince asked.

"Yes, I am," she answered.

"Good," Boushin said. "Come with me," he ordered suddenly, scrambling from her lap. Aneko was a little startled. She wasn't used to receiving orders from children, but she was curious, so she got up. Prince Boushin took her hand and led her toward the main palace pavilion. He led her to the private apartments he shared with his mother. He dropped her hand and scurried across a large room. With all his might he pushed a wide, heavy, ornate, red chair against the wall under a beautifully ornamented sword that hung there. The little prince climbed up on the chair, and after some effort, managed to get the sword down. He dragged the heavy weapon back across the room and held it out to Aneko. "Here," he said simply, looking up at her with his trusting, expectant brown eyes.

"For me?" Aneko wasn't sure what to say. She'd never seen anything like it, and it hardly seemed appropriate for her to take such a treasure as a gift. "I- I don't deserve something as beautiful as this," she professed, trying to give it back to the boy. He scowled and refused to accept it, turning his head from her in disdain. Aneko was a little unsure what she had done to make him angry with her.

"It's rude not to accept the gift of the Emperor," Aneko turned to see Empress Houki standing just inside the doorway to the far left of the room. Captain Hikaru, her personal bodyguard, stood just behind her like a shadow. "Boushin wishes you to have that sword. It once belonged to his father, Emperor Saihitei. It is a holy sword given to him by Taiitsukun when he served as the Suzaku seishi Hotohori." The Empress walked toward her with a smile.

"This is the sword that belonged to Hotohori?" Aneko was floored. This was not just the whim of a child, this was a great honor that was being bestowed upon her.

"My son's wish is my own. It is appropriate that you, Suzaku no Orakuru, have that holy sword." Aneko looked at the young prince. He was still acting insulted over her refusal to accept his gift. Despite his tender age of three, he looked every inch an emperor at that moment. Aneko lowered herself to her knees and bowed to him.

"I am honored that you think me worthy of such a gift," she told him. He nodded regally, then broke into smiles.

"I'm glad," he told her as he started running about the room. "She liked it, Mama," he said as he passed by the Empress.

"Yes," Empress Houki agreed. "But now I must take Suzaku no Orakuru away. I must speak with her on some important matters."

"Hai," Boushin answered as he ran outside and down the steps to the gardens. The entourage of guards and attendants he'd managed to escape earlier had located him once again, and they trotted after the rambunctious child in exasperation.

"Come, Lady Aneko. Follow me. I wish to speak with you, informally." Aneko nodded, then followed Empress Houki to the private courtyard that was accessed only through the royal apartments. The Empress ordered a servant to bring tea and refreshments to them, then led Aneko to a pair of marble benches under the shade of a young tree. Aneko noticed Captain Hikaru as he made himself as unobtrusive as possible, standing out of immediate earshot, but not out of shouting or visual range.

"To what do I owe this occasion, Highness?" Aneko inquired politely. Houki looked up through her beautiful violet eyes and then broke into a friendly smile.

"Really, do call me Houki, at least in private," Empress Houki requested with an earnest smile. "I wish to be your friend. I notice you have none, other than your seishi," she said in a rush. Houki wasn't sure how exactly to go about this. Aneko was as lonely as herself, and that gave them one very important thing in common. The reason for such loneliness was the second thing they had in common. Both held lofty positions within Konan, positions that either evoked fear from others, or a reverence that would not allow anything else beyond it. They were isolated, though they were surrounded by people, and both were in need of a close companion. "I am sad to admit that I am rather lonely myself. I only thought-"

"I'm flattered, Your High- I mean, Houki," Aneko responded.

"You are?" Houki was a little surprised. Usually other women ostracized her because she had been the lucky one to marry the Emperor. Jealousy was a monster that was hard to fight. Aneko hadn't been in Konan then, Houki reminded herself. Somehow, though, she didn't think that would have mattered to the other woman.

"I am," Aneko affirmed. "And you're right. I am lonely. Chichiri and Tasuki are kept so busy, they have little time for me. Everyone else avoids me like the plague, and when they do come upon me, apologize for disturbing 'Her Divine Eminence' before fleeing. But you have been very kind to me. I hoped we could be friends."

"I am relieved, and pleased," Houki confided. "I have wanted someone I could confide in so long, I do not know where to start." Aneko smiled at her, and Houki found comfort in that.

"You're worried for Prince Boushin, aren't you?" Aneko asked. Houki was surprised at her astuteness, but as she considered it, it wasn't that surprising after all. Aneko had proved observant before, and she was Orakuru, which gave her insight that others were not granted. "You needn't worry so much. As long as Chichiri, Tasuki, and I draw breath, no harm will come to him. I promise you."

"Coming from Her Divine Eminence, I can truly believe that," Houki replied. "And coming from my friend, my heart is put at ease." Aneko smiled. "You know my deepest fear, now what is it that worries you? It is only fair that I return the favor you have granted me. Tell me, and I will do my best to help you through it." Houki watched as Aneko's face fell, and her gaze dropped to her feet. "Is it so terrible you fear to tell me?"

"No, it isn't that," Aneko replied, glancing up into the violet eyes of the Empress. "It's just, so much has happened in such a short time, I feel overwhelmed. I wouldn't know where to start."

"No one can fault you for that," Houki reassured her. "Oracle or not, you are still a human woman with human feelings and human fears."

"So much responsibility has been placed on my shoulders. I'm afraid I can't live up to the expectations everyone has for me," Aneko confided.

"Suzaku would not have chosen you had he not been certain you were capable of carrying out your duty. Remember that, and think of it when you find your journey as Orakuru difficult. It will bring you strength."

"Thank-you, Houki. I will remember."

"Empress," the two women were interrupted by the deep rumble of Captain Hikaru's voice. "Your Highness, the council asks for your immediate return." Empress Houki took note of the young page beside her personal bodyguard, then glanced longingly at Aneko. She wanted nothing more than to spend the remainder of the fine day in the other woman's company, but it just wasn't going to be possible.

"I would like to talk again," she requested, "another time, when I have more time than I do now. Do you agree?"

"I do," Aneko nodded. "Another time. I look forward to it, Houki."

"Good," the Empress beamed. "I will leave you to find your own way out, I presume you know the way." Aneko nodded. "Feel free to visit the royal apartments again." With that, the Empress hurried away with Captain Hikaru following closely after her.

*****

To be continued…

End Note:

Don't get all worked up about the italicized portion that started out this chapter. As with everything else, all will be answered in due time. ~Sapphire


	2. Part Two: Traveling Stars

Disclaimer:

I don't own Fushigi Yugi or it's characters, places, gods, etc. Consequently, I have no claim to any kind of profit from this endeavor, save some long hours in front of my computer happily tapping away at my keyboard in blissful solitude. (Life is noisy. This is my quiet time.) 

Warnings:

Bandit alert. We get to visit with Kaneto in this chapter. Language, language, language. This part rated PG-13.

Notes:

One chapter just isn't enough to get a story going! This time around we get into the action a little earlier. So, here we go.

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Two ~ Traveling Stars

As she sat in the private garden after Houki's departure, Aneko once again found herself deep in thought about her situation. Her skepticism and disbelief had long since worn off, and it was high time she took her duties more seriously. Taiitsukun and Suzaku had both said there was a reason for her being there, and she wanted to know what it was. "_First you must learn, and you must stop hiding from yourself_," were Suzaku's words. Aneko fully intended to follow the beast god's instructions. Chichiri and Tasuki had helped her get all the details of their experience with Suzaku no Miko, but Aneko was sure there was more to it than that. So she headed for the one place she was sure to find information of all kinds: the library.

Once there she was a little unsure of herself. She couldn't read ancient Chinese, which put her at quite a disadvantage. She considered asking some of the palace scholars to read things for her, but most seemed annoyed by her presence. She may be Her Divine Eminence Suzaku no Orakuru, but that was something she would not throw in anyone's face. So, she merely wandered through the rows of shelves and scrolls absently gazing at random texts in case something should catch her attention. To her surprise, something did.

"Willow," she read as she unfurled the scroll. "Star, Basket, Ogre…these are the constellations of Suzaku." On the wall above the low shelves was an enormous star chart. It looked very much the same as charts she'd seen in school, except this had only twenty-eight constellations outlined with faint markings to distinguish the star groupings. "Suzaku controls the seven southern constellations," Aneko said to herself, tracing the seven lower groups lightly with her finger. "I wonder," she murmured to herself, "Are these the Suzaku?"

"Your Eminence is interested in the heavens?" Aneko jumped, startled by the comment. She turned to see a smiling palace scholars standing just behind her. He was younger than most of the scholars, in his early thirties Aneko guessed, and quite a chipper sounding man for one so studious.

"I am," she said, letting her gaze sweep across the chart. "I'm guessing these constellations here are the Suzaku," she indicated the southern seven with a sweeping motion of her hand, "but I don't know which constellation is which. In my world, the constellations go by different names. This, here," she stated, pointing out the star group she meant, "part of this belongs to what we call Gemini. The constellation of Gemini is a pair of twins."

"That's most intriguing, Your Eminence," the scholar said with a careful eye. "Your _Gemini_, part of it is what we call Chichiri."

"This is Chichiri?" Aneko asked, studying the star pattern closely, committing it to memory exactly so she could find it in the night sky. "And this?" she asked, pointing to a random constellation.

"Hotohori, Your Eminence." The kindly scholar proceeded to show her each of the Suzaku Constellations, letting her learn them, and pointed out each of the other gods' constellations, putting a name to them all.

"These are odd," Aneko pointed out after a long while. "These single stars with the strange markings, what are they?"

"Those are the stars of the gods themselves," the scholar told her knowledgeably. "They are the only stars that move about the heavens, traveling in patterns. Their paths never cross, so we can always know which star belongs to which god." He pointed to each of the four in turn. "This is Genbu. This is Byakko. And these, here, are Seiryu and Suzaku."

"They must be planets," Aneko said, "not stars." The scholar looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"_Planets_?" the man repeated, speaking slowly to pronounce the unfamiliar word. "What are _planets_?" Aneko wasn't sure the man would really understand if she tried to explain, so she carefully chose her words.

"_Planet_ is the name the ancient Romans of my world gave to the wandering stars. _Planet_ means 'wanderer' in their language. The planets in my world are named Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto. They are also named after gods." The kindly scholar internalized this information, delving so deeply into his own thoughts that he was oblivious to the surrounding world.

"Fascinating," the man finally said with a smile. "Perhaps Your Eminence would like to watch the four stars of the gods align? The alignment will happen in only a few weeks time. It only occurs every five hundred years." Aneko gasped in stunned silence.

"Five hundred years?" she asked. "And that's only in a few weeks time?"

"Yes," the scholar told her. "Do your _planets_ align? In your world?" Aneko nodded mutely. "When?" he asked eagerly.

"I'm not sure," Aneko replied with only half interest. "I don't know how often, but I know that we do have planetary alignment. And it's very rare." The scholar turned to the star chart and stared at it as he became engrossed in thought. Aneko looked at the chart a little longer, then wandered away to think. Wasn't it strange that the stars of the four gods aligned only once every five hundred years? And wasn't it odd that the oracles descended to this world every five hundred years? And wasn't it peculiar that the oracles should descend just as the four stars were about to align?

*****

"Shit," Kaneto cursed to himself. "Dammit." He'd really done it this time. Why couldn't he just follow simple instructions? Those come hither eyes did him in every time. What could one little night matter? His one night stand just might cost every last bandit's life, he realized. Oh, yes. He'd really done it this time.

While he was busy enjoying his pleasures of the flesh, some sneak had made off with his horse. His lady friend lifted his entire purse while he slept. His supplies also disappeared, all except the hard biscuits and his water pouch. He couldn't believe his rotten luck.

"_One last thing_," Kouji had said. "_It's a five day trip_. _Try ta make it in three_."

"_I'm only human_," Kaneto had replied.

"_An' I'm dead serious_," was Kouji's answer. By his calculations, Kaneto had been traveling six days. Only two days had been by horseback, the rest by foot. He figured he'd arrive in Eiyou in two or three more days.

"I'm dead," Kaneto moaned. "We're all dead." All he could do now was keep going and hope it wasn't already too late.

*****

As evening fell around her, Aneko sat beneath a stunted tree on the pond's edge. Grasped firmly in her hands was the hilt of His Majesty Saihitei's holy sword. Staring at the bejeweled sheath, she couldn't begin to fathom what had possessed her to carry it with her all day. One thing was certain, she'd felt better having it with her. It was almost as if it brought it's bearer a measure of security.

Curious about the sacred treasure, she carefully pulled the long, sharp, glinting blade from it's ornamented casing. For an instant, she thought she saw the reflection of a young man's face, soft hazel eyes staring at her through wayward strands of long, dark, mossy hair. She blinked but the image, if indeed it had been there, was gone. She'd only gotten a glimpse, but she could tell that whoever he had been, he was a kind and generous man. She'd seen it in his eyes.

"Hotohori's sword, no da," Chichiri's voice came out of the blue.

"I- I know," Aneko replied. She'd sensed the monk's presence, but was a bit startled he'd spoken to her. For the most part, he'd been avoiding her since their return from Mt. Daikyouku. That, she hated to admit, was partly her own fault as she'd been avoiding him just as much, thanks to her guilty conscience. She sighed. Perhaps it was time to stop. Perhaps he thought so, too, and that was why he'd stopped to speak with her. "Prince Boushin gave it to me today." She carefully slipped the blade back into the sheath. She lay the sword carefully across her lap, balancing it on her knees. "I don't know a thing about swordsmanship, but I couldn't refuse the honor of the prince's gift."

"No, you couldn't," Chichiri agreed. He noticed she was doing her level best to keep from looking up at him, though she didn't try and run away. He wasn't sure if things were getting better since that incident on Mt. Daikyouku, or worse. He wondered if he should apologize for whatever he'd said or done to upset her like he had.

"What could I possibly do that would secure the stability of this entire world for five hundred years?" Aneko's sudden and unexpected question startled Chichiri, though he showed no outward signs of it. He scrutinized her, wondering where the question had come from. As evident by the worry lines across her forehead, he guessed she'd been thinking long about this, and he was sorry he hadn't seen it sooner, that he hadn't talked it over with her and reassured her about it.

"You're worried about this task?"

"No," Aneko replied with a firm shake of her head, "I'm not worried. I'm terrified. I'm more afraid of it than I am of that evil thing that's lurking out there somewhere."

"Afraid?" Chichiri wasn't sure why she'd be afraid.

"Yes, afraid. No one doubts the evil will be destroyed. It'll be a battle, and a hard one, but no one doubts the outcome. This sacred task, the one the four oracles were brought here to complete, no one knows anything about it. Taiitsukun told me I was here for a purpose, and that I mustn't ever loose sight of that. I can't let anything interfere in it. If I do, she said the consequences would be dire. If I fail, if any one of the oracles fail, then this world will cease to exist. To me, that's far more frightening than being destroyed by evil."

"Did you ask Taiitsukun?" Chichiri asked, "Doesn't she know?"

"She does, but she won't tell me, or claims she can't," Aneko replied, staring out across the shimmering water of the pond as the last of the sun dipped below the horizon in the distant mountains. "That in itself frightens me."

"And then there's your premonitions, no da." Aneko remained motionless, staring at the place the sun had disappeared. "Tasuki and I should have been spending more time with you. We aren't doing what Suzaku asked. We thought we had, no da. I guess there's more to it than just knowing about Suzaku no Miko."

"That's what I think," Aneko agreed.

"Maybe you should take a break, let us worry for a while. You've been doing everything on your own when we should have been helping you."

"I don't want to take a break," Aneko said. "Once I complete this task, and I rid this world of the evil that threatens it, then I can go home, to Tokyo, where I belong." Chichiri almost couldn't believe the bitterness he heard in her voice.

"Do you hate it here that much?" he asked in a quiet voice. Aneko finally looked up, afraid that she'd hurt him somehow yet again. She was surprised to see he was without his mask. She had only seen him without it twice before. They had been serious situations, she recalled, and wondered what could be so serious to warrant his removing it this time. 

"No, it's not terrible here," she assured him. "It's beautiful here, and everyone has been so kind to me, especially you." She tried to smile, but it was half-hearted at best. "I couldn't begin to repay you for all you've done. But, this isn't my home. Tokyo is. And I miss it very much."

"I can understand that, no da," he told her, knowing that what she said was the truth. "Tomorrow we'll work on this, together, with Tasuki." Her face lit up, and he was pleased to see that he was the cause of some happiness, for once, where she was concerned. "Taiitsukun asked us to keep our eyes open for anything unusual. We'll do one better, no da. We'll go looking for it. We can try and figure out the rest while we travel. And then you can fulfill your duty and go home." Chichiri meant every word, but felt strangely unhappy at the prospect. He didn't want Aneko to go home, as much as he hated to admit it to himself. Before she could see what he was really thinking, he turned and walked away.

As silently as he'd come, he was gone. Aneko rose to her feet and stared off into the growing darkness, wondering if she should follow after him, or if he'd just turn a cold shoulder to her intrusion. They may be on speaking terms again, she decided, but it was a tenuous situation at present.

A peculiar gurgling noise arose behind her, disturbing her thoughts. She turned, curious to know what was making it. Her eyes grew wide at the frightening wall of water behind her. She knew she was in danger.

"Chichiri! Help!" In an instant it had assailed upon her, and pulled her into the pond, holding her under the water as she struggled for the surface and air.

*****

To be continued…

End Notes:

And, I think I'll post one more. ~Sapphire


	3. Part Three: Dark Water

Disclaimer:

You know, I'm always concerned about mentioning what I don't own, that I forget to let people know what does belong to me. Okay, Fushigi Yugi and it's cannon characters and events were created by the great Watase. All original characters and ideas (the four oracles, Captain Hikaru, non-cannon Leikaku Bandits, the evil devil-woman, etc.) belong to Sapphire and cannot be used or copied without permission.

Warnings:

This part is rated PG-13 due to some language. Oh, that Tasuki! ((^_~))

Notes:

So, since it's been about two months since I posted the last of "Suzaku's Orakuru", I thought I'd go ahead and post a third chapter. By the end of this chapter you'll be well into the second book of "Oracles of the Four Gods". Gosh, we're into the second book…it took so long, I never thought I'd get this far. I'm finally starting to feel like I'm getting something accomplished.

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Three ~ Dark Water

"Chichiri! Help!" The distressed call barely reached him. He might not have heard it at all if he hadn't sensed an evil presence the moment before she'd called out to him. He turned and rushed back to the pond where he'd left Aneko. The grassy turf under the stunted tree was soft and spongy with water. Chichiri looked all around, but Aneko was nowhere to be seen. Hotohori's sword lay in the wet muck, abandoned. Aneko wasn't careless; she'd never have left the sword like that unless something were wrong.

"Aneko!?" Chichiri called, worry lines creasing his forehead. Where had she gone? Water seeped into his shoes from the sodden ground beneath his feet. Moving away, his steps were accompanied by sucking noises as the muddied ground tried to hold fast to his feet. He was so worried about Aneko he almost didn't realize- "The water! It wasn't here before!" He spun and faced the still pond. Suddenly a watery form emerged from the placid surface, causing ripples to spread in rings about it. "A demon!" Chichiri mentally kicked himself for not having sensed it sooner. As the moon broke through the low clouds on the eastern horizon, it's light illuminated the water demon, and Chichiri could see a form floating inside it. It was Aneko, and she was slowly drowning, fighting to break free so she could breathe.

Chichiri was overcome by a near paralyzing wash of memories. This had happened before. He had faced this threat before. More than once. First Tenmei and his family, then Hikou, and Miaka had nearly died at the hand of the Demon Hikou. He'd suffered the loss of his best friend a second time, in the end. Why was this happening again? Why Aneko, why now? Why did the water constantly haunt him? He resolved he couldn't let the water take Aneko from him, too.

"Hold on, Aneko!" he shouted, preparing for battle. This would be tricky, Aneko was actually inside the demon. If he wasn't careful... With enormous concentration, he sent a life force blast full force at the demon's head. The creature's head exploded with a spray of water. Then, the head reformed, pulling more water from the pond to replace what had been blown away. Chichiri tried again. This time he aimed low, attempting to cut the demon off from the water supply. Another life force blast hit the demon, and a wave of water was sent headlong toward the other side of the pond from the force. Still, the demon remained, reforming itself.

Chichiri tried again, this time trying to blast the demon onto the shore on the other side. He hoped it would loose it's strength and release Aneko the moment it left the water from which it fed. But the demon wouldn't budge. Chichiri was running out of time; Aneko was running out of time.

"Hey, Chichiri!" Tasuki's voice had never been quite so welcome before. "I sense Aneko's in trouble- Oh shit! What the hell is that thing!?"

"A demon! It's got Aneko!"

"Sonofabitch," Tasuki swore vehemently. "Lekka Shien!" A blast of fire shot at the demon's head, and steam rose if puffs. Seconds later the head was reformed, just like before.

"I already tried that, no da!" Chichiri exclaimed. "I think we have to hit the center, but if we do, we'll hurt Aneko, no da."

"Maybe," Tasuki said, "And maybe not..."

*****

"Your Highness! Your Highness!" Empress Houki looked up from the scroll she was engaged in reading when she heard the frantic shouts of her youngest handmaiden. The girl's name eluded her, but the urgency in the young woman's voice was unquestionable.

"What has happened?" Houki demanded, her heart racing as fast as the terrible possibilities were filling her mind.

"The young prince!" the handmaiden exclaimed, "something has horribly frightened him!" Empress Houki rose from her seat, the scroll she'd been reading instantly forgotten.

"Where is he? Where is my son?" Empress Houki strode purposefully toward the younger girl.

"I- In the royal apartments," she managed to say. Not having time to bother any longer with the frightened girl, Houki pushed her way past the woman and left the palace library, hurrying toward the rooms she and her son shared. Boushin was rarely perturbed by anything. Whatever had frightened him had to be serious, indeed. Houki feared it was another demon, it wouldn't be the first attack made on her son.

"Boushin!" she called out the moment she threw the main doors open. "Boushin! Where are you?" There was no answer. Everything was still and silent. Not even the slightest hint of a breeze stirred the air. It made the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Something was not right.

Houki hurried through the main room toward her bedchamber. Boushin had hidden there once after waking from a nightmare. Upon searching the room, she knew that was not the case in this instance. Houki quickly moved to Boushin's bedchamber. A search there also turned up no trace of the boy. She ran out to the private courtyard to look.

At first, all seemed quiet, but her instincts told her something was wrong with that. She stood as motionless as the air and let her surroundings fill her senses. Then it hit her. The fountain that was always gurgling merrily was silent. She turned toward it, and screamed.

*****

"Can you put some kind a protective barrier around her?" Tasuki asked, thinking fast.

"I think so..." Chichiri responded uncertainly.

"Then do it," Tasuki ordered, eyes narrowed. He raised his tessen above his head. Chichiri clasped his hands together in a tight grip, and bowed his head, concentrating on creating a barrier around Aneko inside the demon. Tasuki concentrated on the demon itself, and the moment he saw a red glimmer within, he acted. "Lekkaaaa Shiennn!" Fire surrounded the water demon, and the pond was suddenly covered in the foul smelling steam radiating from the boiling demon. Tasuki could see it was beginning to work, but the demon was resisting. He pulled his arm back, ready to strike a second time.

"I can't hold this barrier much longer, no da!" Chichiri warned.

"Just a little longer," Tasuki said before attacking again. "Lekkaaa Shien!" Again the flames engulfed the water demon, only this time they started to penetrate right through the demon's mass. Suddenly the demon's form broke apart in a burst, the force of the negative energy knocking both himself and Chichiri over. There was a big splash as Aneko was released and dropped into the murky water of the pond. "Chichiri! Get her!"

Jumping up, Chichiri threw down his shakujo and pulled his kesa from his shoulder, depositing it next to the staff. He dove into the water, intent on finding Aneko and pulling her to shore. It was dark beneath the water, not even the moonlight did much to illuminate the watery depths. The only movement detectable was the slow waving of the aquatic vegetation. Chichiri searched until he was forced to go up for air, but he dove down again after taking a quick breath.

The water was starting to get to him. The panic and haunting fear he'd been holding at bay was beginning to rise again. Just before his fear took him over completely, he saw something glinting in the meager light. Hopeful, he propelled himself towards it. It was Aneko, the silver hair pick she wore flickering in the silvery sheen of the moon's glow. He caught hold of her and pulled her up to the surface.

"Chichiri, give her here!" Tasuki shouted as he knelt on the water's edge, waiting for him to bring Aneko up, a hand outstretched toward them. Swimming closer, Chichiri pushed Aneko toward Tasuki. Tasuki grabbed hold of her and hauled her water logged form from the pond. Chichiri grabbed the solid edge and pulled himself up onto the bank. Tasuki had pulled Aneko back away from the water, and she suddenly started coughing and spluttering. After taking a few deep breaths, her eyes opened and she looked up at the two of them kneeling beside her.

"You did hear me," Aneko managed to say, looking up at Chichiri. She struggled to sit up, and Tasuki helped her. "I thought I was going to die." She admitted quietly as she wrapped her arms around her knees and hugged them to her, shivering. She watched Chichiri reach for his discarded kesa lying nearby through the corner of her eye. She wanted to thank him as he carefully wrapped it around her, but her teeth were chattering so hard, she couldn't speak. He rubbed her arms a little, trying to warm her. It tingled so much it hurt.

"She's so cold," Tasuki said, feeling the icy chill of the skin on her hands.

"Th- that, that d-demon water was so c-cold," Aneko managed to get out, recalling the initial shock she'd felt when it had consumed her.

"Let's get her inside, no da," Chichiri said, standing, then collecting his staff and Hotohori's sword from where they'd been dropped on the wet ground. Tasuki nodded, and carefully lifted Aneko off the ground. Shifting her weight around to make it easier for him to carry her. Tasuki bit back a yelp as Aneko grabbed his collar, tugging frantically.

"Boushin," Aneko breathed, her eyes wide and frightened. "Boushin is in danger. A- and Houki…" Her eyes held a wild, frightened look, the same look they held after one of her premonitions.

"Is it a vision?" Chichiri asked. He sounded as uncertain as Tasuki felt. Aneko nodded. Tasuki was torn. They had sworn to protect Aneko, but they also had a responsibility to the Empress and the young Prince. He glanced at the monk who seemed to be thinking similar thoughts.

"Go," Aneko said, deciding for them. "L- leave me a- and go to them." Tasuki was reluctant, but he put her down on higher and dryer ground, then he followed after Chichiri toward the palace pavilions.

*****

To be continued…

End Notes:

Well, that takes care of this posting. I hope you liked it. Constructive criticism is always welcome, or, feel free to leave a message in the reviews! Thanks for coming back and starting the second installment of "Oracles of the Four Gods" with me. ~Sapphire


	4. Part Four: Deadly Messengers

Disclaimer:

SIGH. Here we are again. The disclaimer. Do I have to? Oh, okay. I have no rights to Fushigi Yugi anything. Will that do?

Warnings:

Language. Of course. Violence. PG-13.

Notes:

Thank-you to the people who reviewed "Oracle's Destiny" and "Suzaku's Orakuru". Thank-you to everyone who is reading "Oracles of the Four Gods" but is not reviewing. Every author needs an audience. I want you to know I truly appreciate mine. ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Four - Deadly Messengers

Chichiri and Tasuki raced to the royal apartments where the source of danger seemed to be originating. They stormed through the main doors, seishi senses on full alert. Tasuki's eyes darted directly to the doors leading out to the private courtyard.

"There," Chichiri said at the same moment, indicating the open doors to the garden. Tasuki nodded and they both raced through, heedless of what might lay beyond.

"Shit!" Tasuki hissed under his breath, at the sight that met them. Lying on the stone walk was the crumpled form of one of Empress Houki's attendants. From the amount of blood pooled around her, he knew she was dead. What was worse, one of the young prince's attendants lay slumped over the side of the fountain, her head submerged in the water. There was no denying she was dead. Most frightening of all was the Empress and Prince Boushin. They were surrounded by six men dressed in deep purple, all alike. Their armor was the color of fire hardened iron, except for the leather portions that were dyed a deeper purple than even their clothing. It was so dark, in fact, it was nearly black. One held the Empress' wrists firmly behind her back, and pulling a fist full of her hair exposing her neck to a sharp, glinting blade one of his comrades held. A third man held fast to the young prince, also ready to slash a throat.

"Neither of you move," came the deep, barking voice of the man that was obviously their leader. "They will die if you do."

"Who the hell are you?" Tasuki demanded, not recognizing the uniform they wore. He'd never seen soldiers or assassins quite like them. "Who sent you?" The leader chuckled mirthfully.

"Our mistress wished to send a message to the Orakuru, if she still lives," he said with a cruel grin. "She will not defeat our mistress. Our mistress will always get to her first." With that, the leader held up a hand. The men holding the young prince and the Empress moved to slash their blades across their unprotected throats.

"Bastards!" Tasuki shouted, raising his tessen.

"Tasuki! No!" Chichiri shouted. Tasuki didn't want to listen, but he paused anyway. He'd learned to trust the monk, and wasn't about to stop now. "You get the Empress, I'll get Boushin." Chichiri strode up to the man holding the prince and not one of the assassins moved.

"What the-?" It took only a fraction of a second to realize Chichiri must have used one of his spells to freeze them in place. Not wasting another second, Tasuki made a rush for the Empress and knocked the long blade away from her exposed throat. Then he wrenched her wrists and hair free.

"They're breaking free of my spell!" Chichiri warned as he separated himself from the assassins, bringing the prince to relative safety. But for Tasuki, Houki was another matter. She was upset, weeping and clinging to him as if for dear life.

"Let go of me!" Tasuki shouted at her. "I can't help ya if ya don't let go!" She was irrational, sobbing and weeping like an incoherent child, not listening to a word he said.

"Tasuki!" Chichiri shouted as the men around him began to stir, "Get out of there!" He was stuck.

"Damned woman!" Tasuki barked and pushed the Empress against the nearest wall, placing himself between her and the men intent on murdering her. The assassins were free of Chichiri's spell, and converged on him with swords drawn. "Chichiri! Where the fuck are you?!" he shouted, using his tessen as a sword to fend off the attacking men. He didn't dare use the fire for fear of hitting Chichiri or, worse, Boushin by accident.

"Tasuki! Use your fire!" That was all the prompting he needed.

"Lekka Shiennn!" The orange flames burst fourth from the end of the tessen, leaving two assassins ash in it's wake. With fewer people in the way, Tasuki was able to get a good sense of where everyone was. Chichiri was busy taking care of two assassins with his staff. He didn't see the kid anywhere, but Chichiri probably had him stashed somewhere safe. With the empress clinging to the back of his shirt, he let loose more flames on the assassins, and combined with Chichiri's efforts, all were wiped out save one.

"This isn't the last you've heard of my mistress," the leader taunted. "She'll be back, you can count on that." Then, in a burst of eerie black light, he was gone.

"Chichiri," Tasuki said after a few moments, "Get her offa me." The monk flashed him an amused smile. Tasuki crossed his arms across his chest, and gave Chichiri a searing glare. Houki still clung to the back of his shirt, weeping senselessly. He really hated women. Chichiri walked toward the door and pushed it open. "Don't you fuckin' dare leave me here…" Tasuki threatened, but to his surprise, little Boushin poked his head around the doorway and looked inside.

"I put him out there, where it was safe," Chichiri told him. Then he bent to the little prince. "Your mother's worried about you. Go and see her." Boushin bounded over toward the Empress. The moment she saw him, she let go of Tasuki and dropped to the ground where she grabbed hold of her son and wept tears of relief, holding him tight. Tasuki hurried away as fast as he could. He didn't want the Empress to get her mitts on him again. It was safer to leave her with the Royal Runt.

"Get them outta here," Tasuki said, looking around the room, his eyes lighting upon the dead bodies still lying on the floor. "The Runt doesn't need ta see this. It ain't helpin' the Empress much, either." Chichiri nodded, then went to help the Empress off the floor. He escorted her out of the small garden and into the private apartments. Tasuki followed after them, and saw Captain Hikaru, the Empress' personal bodyguard, hurry in.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Tasuki demanded the moment he walked in. Hikaru didn't even flinch at the biting demand.

"Sleeping," the Captain replied, gazing at Tasuki evenly. "Her secondary guards were in charge of her. They're dead, by the way." Tasuki had nothing further to say. He stepped aside and watched as Captain Hikaru took charge of the Empress and Prince immediately, ushering them away, safe in his care.

"We need to go get Aneko," Chichiri said, looking up at Tasuki. "She's still out in the palace grounds by herself."

"Yeah, let's go," Tasuki agreed as several more guards showed up and started cleaning up the mess in the courtyard. The two seishi hurried from the room and headed back to where they'd left Aneko.

*****

She was unconscious when he and Tasuki found her again. He wasn't surprised. She'd been shivering with cold when they left her, and she'd been sitting on the damp ground in the cool night air ever since. Chichiri knelt beside her to wake her.

"Houki- Boushin-" Her eyes had opened the moment he'd touched her shoulder.

"They're safe, no da." She let out a sigh of relief, then started to shiver again. 

"So c- cold," she mumbled, barely conscious anymore. "The water was s-so cold. And dark." He'd hated leaving her out here, but understood the necessity of it. He was back now, and wasn't going to leave her like that again, not if he could help it. Tasuki bent down and took hold of Aneko, startling Chichiri as he easily lifted the woman off the damp, cold ground.

"Let's get her inside," he said, heading toward the palace pavilions. Chichiri shook his head, clearing it. Tasuki was right, they needed to get her warm and dry. He grabbed the holy sword and his abandoned kesa, then hurried after him. 

*****

To be continued…

End Notes:

So that was Chapter four. I hope you liked. Now, on to chapter five! ~Sapphire


	5. Part Five: An Oracle's Dreams

Disclaimer:

Fushigi Yugi belongs to a talented Japanese manga artist, Yu Watase. Trademarks, copyrights, etc. belong to her, TV Tokyo, some other Japanese companies, and some American and Canadian companies who brought this lovely story to North America.

Warnings:

Do I need to warn you about angst? No, I don't think so. We've got a tame, PG chapter here. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes:

A little update from me to you. I have finished work on "Oracle's Destiny". The only thing I have left is to name a few of the later chapters. I'm currently immersed in writing the third book, tentatively titled "Destiny Altered". I'm in a bit of a bind because I know what needs to happen, but I don't know how to string it all together and tie it into a neat, but satisfying, bow. This, I fear, is the worst nightmare of every author. How to end it? Even I am not precisely certain. ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Five ~ An Oracle's Dreams

__

She was staring up at the stars, as though all of creation depended upon the act. As she watched, four bright stars seemed to flash as they came into perfect alignment. "No, planets_," she thought. "_They're planets, not stars_."_

She turned as she felt a sudden movement beside her. She found herself lying in bed, an open window above her that she'd just been gazing through. Beside her was a man she was sure she had never seen before. His face, his hair, his smile. It was all unfamiliar. Except his eyes. She felt as though she'd seen those eyes before. The luminous green looked emerald in the light of the candle, and she guessed that they were emerald green by daylight as well.

"Marise?" he said. The green eyes looked deeply into her own. Suddenly she felt as though she knew him. As if she'd known him a long time, longer than it was possible to have known anyone.

"Marise," he said again. "It's time. I love you."

"Minoru," she breathed. He smiled. He leaned down and kissed her. Then she could feel his warm hands on her bare flesh. Aneko was surprised, but she did nothing about it. In fact, she kissed Minoru right back, her heart pounding in her chest, every inch of her tingling with excitement and anticipation.

"Minoru," she said when he pulled his lips from hers to kiss her nose, and then her eyelids, and then her nose again. "Minoru, I love you, too." He reached his strong arms around her, and pulled her close. She could feel his bare flesh against hers, and lost herself in a flood of emotion, not bothering to question why she'd repeated those three little words, "I love you."

*****

By the first light of dawn, Aneko lay wide awake, her breath was caught in her throat and her heart was pounding in her chest. This dream had seemed so real, more real than any dream she'd ever had. But was it a dream? Every touch, every kiss, every moment, she remembered in vivid detail. It was as if she'd been there, done those things, been a part of it at one time. "_Minoru. How did I know his name_?" she wondered, "_How did he know my name_? _And those eyes. Where have I seen those eyes_." She felt that she should know, but she just couldn't think of what it was. It was maddening. "_It was just a dream_," she tried telling herself. "_But it wasn't. It was something… more_…"

She tossed and turned, restless, until she came to rest on her side. She froze all at once when she saw she wasn't alone. Chichiri was sleeping, propped up in a chair in the middle of her room. Curious, she watched him for a long moment, wondering why he was there. Then, with a shiver, she remembered the demon. He was guarding her, she supposed, but he'd been as exhausted as she and deserved some sleep. Aneko resolved not to wake him, he looked so peaceful, not at all like the troubled man he was in his waking hours. Especially when she was near. She sighed. It was her own fault for making him so uncomfortable.

Silently, she peeled the layers of blankets from around her and slipped out of bed, feeling the cold floor on her bare feet. Aneko headed for her dressing table across the room, intent on the clothes piled on the stool, but she paused near the sleeping monk. For some inexplicable reason, she felt the desire to reach out and caress his unmasked face. She quickly suppressed the urge, shaking her head as if to clear her mind, and continued on, reaching for the clothing draped over the stool. She jumped back, startled, when the pile suddenly came to life and moved. Clutching her yellow silk robe at her chest, she felt her heart slowly return to it's normal pulse rate when she realized it was just a cat, waking from a nap.

"Where did you come from, Kitty?" she whispered, picking him up and cradling him in her arms. "You scared me. Bad, Kitty," she scratched behind his ears, and he purred from the attention. She put him down on the top of the dressing table and reached for her skirt. She stepped into it quickly and secured it around her waist. Then she slipped out of her robe and pulled the magenta colored sleeveless shirt on and fastened the ties. Sitting on the now empty stool, she picked the cat up off the dressing table, and deposited him in her lap while she searched for her brush among the jumbled items strewn on the surface. As she began to pull the brush through her hair while petting the cat in her lap, she couldn't help but return to thoughts of her dream. There was just something about it that she should know, but it evaded her.

Chichiri had heard Aneko get up, but had been reluctant to rouse himself from what little sleep he'd gotten. He'd listened intently to the sound of her quiet footsteps as they neared, following her movements with his mind's eye. When the footsteps paused so close to him, he'd found himself holding his breath, wondering why she would. The footsteps had quickly continued on, and Chichiri felt strangely disappointed. Then, realizing she was about to dress, he'd felt a warm flush creep up his neck to his cheeks. It was all he could do not to let on he was awake, and he hated to admit, to keep himself from stealing a peek. He felt kind of foolish; it wasn't as if he'd never seen a nude woman before. Besides, he was a man, after all, and she was an attractive woman. Still, he respected her too much to intrude on her privacy like that.

When he was sure she was dressed, he chanced a look. Sure enough, she sat at her dressing table, fully clothed, pulling a brush slowly through her hair, and absently petting a cat that was curled up in her lap. He smiled to himself when he recognized Tama, and wondered fleetingly where the feline had been since he'd returned to the palace. He slowly rose from his chair, careful not to startle Aneko.

"You're awake," Aneko said when she finally noticed him. "Did you stay with me all night?" Chichiri nodded, then leaned over and pulled Tama out of her lap before stepping back to lean against the wall, one foot propped up against it.

"Where have you been, no da?" he asked the cat, holding him up so they were eye to eye. Tama just gave a short 'meow' in reply, then crawled out of Chichiri's grasp and climbed up to his shoulder where he promptly resumed the nap he'd been taking in Aneko's folded clothes.

"You know that cat?" Aneko asked, putting down the brush in her hand. She was trying to make light conversation, he guessed, keeping things between them as uncomplicated as she could. He was all for that. It beat the silence, anyway.

"Who, Tama?" Chichiri returned. "Tama belonged to Mitsukake. I kind of inherited him, no da." Aneko nodded as she took her hair and twisted it up onto the top her head. Her hand trembled a little as she reached for a hair stick on the dressing table. He hoped it wasn't because of him. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, just fine," she replied. "The demon didn't really hurt me, if that's what you're worried about." Despite her words, Chichiri could see she wasn't fine. Her hands were unsteady as she secured her hair with the wooden hair sticks. He watched her image carefully in the reflective glass of the mirror. She was pale, and had the haunted look on her face he'd seen a few times before. She glanced quickly at his own reflection, then looked away. "I had a dream last night." So that's what was bothering her.

"A dream?" he prompted.

"It was so real. If I didn't know better, I'd have believed it _was_ real." She nervously began arranging the items scattered across the top of the dressing table. "It's so hard to tell what's a dream and what isn't. Sometimes I think I'm going to go insane." She swept everything into a pile and began to rearrange the odd assortment of items. Chichiri wasn't entirely sure he knew what she was talking about. He thought maybe she was having premonitions in the form of dreams, but she'd never said so.

"Was it like your premonitions?"

"No, it was…something else." Aneko finished her arrangement with a flourish. "I was there, somehow, but I don't remember ever being there. I knew him, though, and he knew me." She swept all the items off the dressing table and into a drawer. Her hands shook as they reached into the drawer and started pulling things back out.

"Stop, no da," Chichiri said, displacing Tama and reaching out to Aneko. His hands clasped onto her wrists and stilled her agitated movements, and she dropped the items in her hands. She looked up at him, fear in her deep blue eyes. Chichiri reached out and lightly touched her cheek. "Whatever's bothering you, you can tell me, no da," he told her. Tears sprang to her eyes.

"I- I'm afraid it was real," she confessed, a quivering lilt to her voice. "I don't know why I did- what I did. I'm scared of what it means." Her eyes widened in surprise as some new thought occurred to her. "Chichiri, he knew my name, but it wasn't my name." Chichiri had no idea what she was talking about, but she apparently did. "The stars," she was shaking uncontrollably as the tears spilled from her eyes. Chichiri reached out and took her in his arms, holding her close. He rested his chin on the top of her head while she clung to him. "It was because of the stars."

*****

"Your Highness, er, Houki." The Empress looked up from the scroll she'd been reading, a bright smile on her face. Aneko stood in the doorway, apparently not yet used to thinking of her as simply Houki.

"Aneko, come in." Aneko stepped through the partially open doorway and entered the Empress' personal office. "I was worried about you."

"And I was worried about you, and Boushin."

"We are both well. How are you?"

"Better than I thought," Aneko said, "Though I'm sure it has a lot to do with Tasuki and Chichiri. One or the other has been with me since last night. Tasuki's outside the door now."

"Why didn't he come in?" Houki asked, trying to peer past the door into the corridor beyond.

"I asked him not to," Aneko replied. She sighed. "I wanted to speak with you alone."

"Oh?" Houki cleared her desk and waved a hand at a nearby empty chair. "Will you have a seat?" Aneko did, and the two sat at one corner, crosswise from each other.

"Chichiri, Tasuki, and I agree that we're running out of time."

"What makes you think so?" Empress Houki asked.

"I suspect my being here has something to do with the Four Gods aligning in the sky. Those stars only align once every five hundred years. The oracles appear in this world every five hundred years. Don't you think it's odd the oracles have arrived just in time for the alignment?"

"That is quite a coincidence…"

"It can't be just a coincidence. It isn't a coincidence. I know it means something."

"What do you plan to do?" Houki didn't like the way this was sounding.

"I've done what Taiitsukun asked me to do. I've remembered my advent into this world. I remember Suzaku, and Dan- and everything. Now I have to do what Suzaku asked me to do. I have to learn, and stop hiding from myself."

"You have been working so hard. What makes you think you have not already completed the task Suzaku set for you?"

"Chichiri thinks Suzaku would have set me to my intended purpose if I'd already done that. That's what we plan to concentrate on while we look for this unnamed evil threat."

"You are leaving the palace?" Houki had been afraid of this. "Is that wise?"

"The three of us have discussed this. We can't see what goes on in Konan from inside the palace. We need to get out there and actively look for the evil thing. We won't leave you without protection, though. Chichiri will leave the hand mirror with you again." Houki breathed a sigh of relief at that.

"There is nothing I could say to dissuade you, is there?" Aneko shook her head. Houki smiled bravely. They were the servants of Suzaku, and what they did was done for the benefit of all of Konan. She had to have faith in that. "You must do what you must. All will be well." There was an uneasy moment between the two women. "When will you leave?"

"In the morning. I'll miss you, Houki."

"I will miss you as well, Aneko. I wish you could have stayed longer."

"I wish I could have, too," Aneko agreed.

*****

To be continued…

End Notes:

Well, that ought to give you something to anticipate. New journey! New Journey! (Excuse my unnecessary exuberant outburst, please.) Thus far, I've provided quite a bit of ambiguous information. I'm kind of curious to hear some speculation from my readers on what is going to happen next. Occasionally someone will mention they thought one thing, but it turned out to be quite another. I'm amused by it, and sometimes enlightened. It's impossible for me to know every scenario readers are led to believe or come to conclude. One reviewer mentioned they thought _Tasuki_ and Aneko were falling for one another. I never once considered someone might think that. But, oh, what a surprise that must have been! I almost (_almost_) wish I was a reader, and not the writer at times like that! ~Sapphire


	6. Part Six: Power's Potential

Disclaimer:

I'm broke, unemployed, and have as-yet unpaid student loans. What's the point in suing me? You could take the shirt off my back, but do you really want this ratty old t-shirt? 

Warnings:

PG for some language. Bad Tasuki. PG-13 overall.

Notes:

Hello again! Just a note, thanks for the spelling comment. I fixed it in my master copy of "Oracles" but it won't be fixed in my uploaded documents for a month or so more. Time issues, you know. Anyway, I've got a full ten chapters of "Destiny Altered" written. I think I've figured out how to connect up most of the things that have happened to what will happen. I'm still not decided on how to end it, so I can only go so far. Thankfully I have about five more chapters before I have to lead into the final ending. I can just wait and see where it all goes. It's amusing. I'm in a frazzle over the ending of "Oracles" and you haven't even read half way! ~Sapphire 

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Six ~ Power's Potential

It was still light as the three travelers sat around a blazing fire waiting for their supper to cook. They had left the palace before dawn, and had been outside the city limits before the sun was fully above the horizon. The day had been perfect for travel, and they had made the most of the opportunity it had offered.

"Aneko," Chichiri said, interrupting the companionable quiet, "Taiitsukun said you summoned Tasuki and I when that demon attacked Boushin, no da. Did you know that? Taiitsukun said you might not have realized it."

"Maybe I did," Aneko agreed thoughtfully. "I knew I couldn't stop the demon by myself. I kept wishing the two of you would find me and help me."

"If you concentrated hard enough, no da, that was probably how you did it," Chichiri reflected. It coincided with her use of Tamahome's and Nuriko's powers. That hadn't been intentional on her part, either. "I've been thinking, you must have something like our seishi senses. We can feel each other's presence through a special bond. Miaka had it, too."

"Are you sure?" Tasuki asked. "I never felt it."

"I have," Chichiri said. "How else could she have summoned us?"

"Chichiri's right, I can sense you," Aneko said, her eyes lighting up. "Is this what Suzaku meant when he asked you to teach me?" Chichiri shook his head.

"You're one of Suzaku's chosen," Chichiri said, voicing thoughts that had been ghosting around in his head for some time now. "Maybe we should be teaching you to use the abilities that come with that, no da."

"She can already use Tama's and Nuriko's powers," Tasuki said.

"But I can't control them," Aneko said, eyes shining. "Think what I could do if I could."

"You'd be a Tamariko monster," Tasuki said in horror. Aneko threw a pebble at him.

"More than that," Chichiri said. "She'd have the abilities of _five_ celestial warriors." Aneko's situation was finally becoming clear to Chichiri. They all knew she would have to go against the mysterious evil entity in battle. She couldn't fight it with premonitions alone. Twice she had used powers of one of the seishi in defense, though she hadn't had any real control over it. He tried to imagine what it would be like if she did have control. She would be very powerful. All the oracles would be very powerful.

"Five?" Tasuki was incredulous. "But she hasn't used any other-"

"Not yet," Chichiri cut him off.

"But you think I can," Aneko said. Chichiri nodded.

"It can't hurt having another warrior around, " Chichiri stated.

"Shit," Tasuki swore. "Fine. We gotta try somethin' anyway. It's not like we have anything better ta do. Can we eat now?" Aneko laughed.

"Don't worry. I won't show you up," Aneko said, starting to serve the hot stew.

"Like you ever could, Kid," Tasuki shot back. Aneko laughed. 

"Don't start calling me 'Kid' again. I'm older than you."

*****

Aneko sat cross-legged on the ground beside the fire, her eyes closed, her breathing slow and steady. So far she was performing just as Chichiri had instructed her to. None of them expected much to happen, but she hoped she'd be able to accomplish something.

"Can you sense the presence of the other seishi?" Chichiri asked. "You should feel it automatically. You just have to recognize it, no da."

"It's there," Aneko said slowly. "There are just too many of them."

"What?" both Tasuki and Chichiri said.

"I can sense the two of you easily," she said. It was true. Their life forces burned a bright red in her mind's eye. Chichiri had said it would look like that. She could sense other life forces as well. "I assume the other red ones are the other seishi, and one is Miaka. But the other colors-"

"Other colors?" Chichiri was confused.

"Green, blue, and white," Aneko said. "One each." Aneko waited for a response, but none came for the longest time. "Chichiri?"

"Are they the other oracles?" he finally ventured. Aneko thought about it. It made perfect sense. She was connected to them, too. Her very destiny was entwined with theirs.

"Yes, I think they are," she said. "I should have seen it myself." She opened her eyes and looked at her two companions. "I don't want to practice this any more right now," she said. "I want to think for a little while." She stood up and walked away before either of them could say a word.

*****

"It can't be," Aneko whispered to herself as she walked through the trees. "It's impossible." She stopped beside a tall tree, completely oblivious to the world around her.

There had been a tingle in her spine. She had sensed more presences than she could account for. The seven obvious ones were the Suzaku Seven. Then Suzaku no Miko. It was the last three that had spooked her. Chichiri was right. They had to be the other oracles. It only made sense. But there was something about them, about one in particular. That one was stronger than the other two. From it she sensed an echo, as if someone had spoken her name. The voice sounded oddly like…Danno.

"It just can't be," Aneko said to herself, dropping to her knees beside the tree. She held onto it's trunk for support. "He's dead. He died. It can't be him."

"Who?" Aneko looked up, startled. Chichiri hadn't intended to sneak up on her like that. He'd only followed her because he was concerned. "Who's dead?" Tears filled Aneko's eyes, and she wiped at them, very much like a child.

"Can I ask you something?" Aneko asked instead of answering him. Chichiri nodded. "Could I form that kind of bond with someone other than a Celestial Warrior? One that would last, even after death?"

"No, no da," Chichiri shook his head. Only the chosen could feel that bond. "Why?"

"It doesn't make sense," Aneko said, sniffling. "He's dead, but I thought I heard his voice. It's like I can sense him, too."

"Who?" Aneko was silent, avoiding looking at him. He had a sneaking suspicion he knew who she was talking about. "Danno?" he ventured. She started at his unexpected question, and stared at him in bewilderment.

"How do you know that name?" she demanded quietly.

"You say it in your sleep," Chichiri admitted. "And that day on Mt. Daikyouku…" Chichiri watched as a dozen emotions showed themselves on her face. Most were sad to see, grief, hurt, loss, and remorse. "You loved him, didn't you?" Suddenly she doubled over, clutching her midsection in physical pain, the tears rolling down her cheeks. He couldn't stand seeing her like that. He knelt beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Please stop crying, Aneko," he said. "Let me help you."

"I don't deserve your sympathy or your pity," Aneko managed to say.

"Why would you think that?"

"Because everything was a lie," she said, controlling her sobs long enough to explain. "It was all a lie." Chichiri was confused, and a little hurt when she pushed him away. He tried again to comfort her, but she rebuked his efforts once again. "Go away," she sobbed pitifully. "Just go away." Chichiri didn't have much choice. She didn't want him there, so he silently turned and left.

*****

__

"Now you see," his voice came to her over time and space. Slowly, he began to materialize, and he was smiling. "You and I are connected."

"Danno," Aneko said, the haziness of her dream receding until it revealed the kitchen of Danno's apartment. "Danno, what are you talking about?"

"You felt the connection, the invisible thread. You found me. I felt you, too. Now you know we're part of each other's destiny."

"That wasn't you." Aneko wondered why she was having to explain this. He wasn't real.

"Of course it was," he said with a laugh. "You and I were meant to be. We'll always be connected." Aneko sighed.

"It wasn't you," she repeated. Danno reached into the fruit bowl by the sink.

"I can see it, too," Danno said, tossing her a delicious looking orange. "That's how I know if you're okay. That's how I'll find you if you're ever in trouble. Do you want me to peel that?" Aneko looked down at her orange. Danno always used to ask her that. It was her favorite fruit, and she'd always thought he was so sweet when he would offer to peel it for her.

"No," she said, digging her nails into the peel. "Danno, can I tell you something?"

"Anything," he said, lightly bumping her arm with his on purpose as they both leaned against the same counter peeling their oranges. Another ritual of theirs.

"As much as I like seeing you, this isn't real."

"That's what you keep telling me," Danno said. It was pointless to try and convince him he wasn't real. She'd stopped trying. He had stopped arguing, and humored her when she made comments alluding to the fact. "I'm glad you like being with me, though." He bumped her arm with his again. Aneko sighed.

"I don't think this is very healthy for me," Aneko said.

"How so?"

"Someone very wise told me to stop hiding from myself."

"Are you hiding?" Danno asked.

"I think these odd meetings are a way for me to hide, actually," she said. "That's why I think we should stop seeing each other. These are just strange dreams."

"What if they're not?" Danno countered. "What if these meetings are real?" Aneko shook her head.

"You're dead, Danno," Aneko said. "These are only dreams."

"Right," Danno said non-commitally. "I told you not to believe what they told you."

"Danno, listen to me." He quieted down and looked at her. "I have to stop living in my dreams. I have to start living in reality again. I have a future waiting for me. The past is the past. I have to let it be in the past." Danno looked hurt. "I'm not going to forget you again. You don't have to worry about that. But I need to move on." Danno turned thoughtful. Aneko nibbled at her orange while he contemplated her words. For some reason, she felt she needed him to tell her it was okay, even though he existed only in her own head.

"You're right," he said finally. "I was stupid to think this would be enough." Aneko wasn't sure what he meant by that. But he turned and smiled broadly at her. "It doesn't matter, though," he said. "We'll meet again, you and I."

"Somewhere, sometime, I suppose we will," Aneko responded. One day they would meet again, in heaven.

"Before you go," Danno began. Aneko looked up at him. "Let's finish our oranges." Aneko laughed, and took a bite.

*****

To be continued…

End Notes:

Okay, another chapter for sure. ~Sapphire


	7. Part Seven: Splinters

Disclaimer:

Fushigi Yugi is the work of the great Watase. They say the sincerest form of flattery is emulation. Consider yourself flattered, Watase.

Warnings:

Oh, language, as usual. Those bandits. PG this time. PG-13 overall.

Notes:

Ah, we come to a chapter where the unfortunate Kaneto continues his trek toward Eiyou. I think, of all my new characters, I like Kaneto the best. I think he's a lot like Tasuki must have been when Tasuki first became a bandit- unsure but cocky, and eager to please the boss. Anyway, on to the chapter. ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Seven ~ Splinters

Despite the perfect morning, Kaneto knew something wasn't right. The forest was altogether too quiet. The usual sounds were eerily absent. A shiver made it's way up his spine. Something was very wrong.

He went down, his breath knocked from his lungs as he was slammed into the ground. He could feel the hard leather of boots as several feet kicked hard at his stunned body, and two hands reached down and grabbed him by his shirt front. He was gasping for breath as to men held him propped against a tree. Cruel laughter filled the air as others took turns using him as a punching bag. Others expressed sincere disappointment when all they found on his person was a water pouch and some dry rice biscuits.

The men holding him up dropped him, and he fell back to the ground in pain. Several more kicks were administered before his assailants retreated. He saw the swish of red capes and recognized them as Imperial soldiers. Imperial soldiers never traveled far from the capitol. He was so close.

"_Rotten Bastards_," he thought as the world went black.

*****

Aneko was last to get up. Tasuki couldn't remember when she'd come back and gone to bed. He'd been sound asleep then. She looked as though she'd been up really late. At breakfast she was quiet, and she didn't say a whole lot while breaking camp. Chichiri was behaving rather oddly, too. Everything he did was automatic. He wasn't concentrating on anything, it got done out of habit.

On the road, Aneko kept to herself. She kept her eyes on the ground, but he doubted she was actually seeing it. She'd run into him twice, and with his big feet he figured he was pretty hard to miss. Someone had to be walking with their eyes closed to keep stepping on him like that. Chichiri had taken the lead that morning, and walked ahead of him and Aneko. He was unusually quiet as well. The atmosphere between the three of them reminded him a lot of the journey back from Mt. Daikyouku. He did not want to end up babysitting those two all the way. Again.

Around noon, Aneko's mood seemed to lighten, and she became more alert. Her mind tended to wander, he noticed, but there seemed to be a direction to it, rather than the blank stare she'd had that morning. Whatever had been bothering her, she was apparently getting over it. After a while, she started waving her hand around when that day-dream expression came over her face. Usually she waved at a tree or a rock, and Tasuki wondered if she'd lost her mind.

"What the hell are you doing?" he finally asked after the third such episode. She looked up startled. "What's all that waving around for?"

"Oh, that," she said dismissively. "I'm trying to use my ki, like Tamahome." Tasuki burst out laughing. "What's so funny?"

"Tama never waved his hands around like that," Tasuki told her. "He always looked kind of stupid, but that would have been more stupid- Ow!" Aneko punched him in the arm.

"If you're so smart, then you tell me how he did it," she challenged. Tasuki thought a moment.

"Well, he kind of got all pissed off," he started, "then he kind of held his hand out like this…" he started to demonstrate, stopping in the middle of the road. "And when he attacked, he kind of went like this…" Aneko burst out laughing.

"And you thought I looked stupid?" she asked. "I'm not doing that."

"Well you asked," Tasuki said, giving her a gentle shove.

"You brought it up," she retorted, shoving him back.

*****

The next night, as she searched for firewood, Aneko attempted yet again to use Tamahome's abilities. She tended to favor his powers, as they had manifested themselves in her first, and on more than one occasion. She hoped that meant they would be the easiest for her to access, though not necessarily the easiest to master. With as much concentration as she could muster, she tried to form her life force into something tangible. Nothing. Just like before. It was maddening.

"I have to be doing something wrong," she said, yanking some branches off a dead tree in frustration. She felt a tingle on her forehead. She looked upward, going cross-eyed trying to see. There was a faint glow there. "_Well, he kind of got all pissed off_," she remembered Tasuki saying. Well, she was annoyed all right.

Excited, she concentrated forming her own life force into something tangible before the ogre symbol could fade. She concentrated long and hard, but nothing materialized. Irritated, she tried again. She was sure she was getting close, she could just feel something building. She waved a hand to swat a pesky insect. Aneko jumped back with a scream when a chunk of firewood on the ground in front of her exploded into hundreds of splinters.

"Aneko!" Chichiri was the first to charge through the trees, followed closely by Tasuki. They took one look at her forehead and immediately went on alert. The only other time they'd each seen it there was when she was in danger.

"What the hell happened?" Tasuki asked, looking at the splintered remains of the log.

"I did that," she said, still holding a hand to her chest, trying to calm her breathing. "I made it explode. I scared myself." Tasuki started laughing.

"You've been tryin' to get Tama's powers to work for days, and when you do, ya scare yourself!" 

"I just didn't expect it," Aneko shrugged. Tasuki laughed harder.

"Try to do it again, no da." Chichiri found another chunk of wood and stood it up on a large rock. He stepped away and nodded to Ankeo. She moved in front of it and concentrated. With an awkward motion of her hand, a red stream of life force flew at the wood, splitting it into more than a dozen pieces. She was elated. "Did you see that!"

"Took ya long enough," Tasuki said, giving her a little shove.

"It's not like there was a manual," Aneko retorted with a wink, pushing him right back. 

*****

The world was spinning when Kaneto came to. The first thing he noticed was the waning daylight. How long he'd been unconscious, he didn't know. For all he knew, he'd been lying there unconscious for days and days. He was stiff, stiff enough to have been there longer than a few hours, and every inch of him ached. He had to get up. He had to find Genrou. The bandits were depending on him. It was agony as he rolled onto his back. It was worse as he forced himself to sit up. He'd never had worse luck in his life. But he couldn't let it bring him down.

Not yet willing to try walking, Kaneto got to his hands and knees and half crawled and half dragged himself to a tiny creek running close by. He took a long drink of the cool, life renewing water. Feeling a little clearer of mind, Kaneto washed up his bloodied face. He used the fine sand on the creek bed to scrub the dried-on mess away. This surely had to be the worst day of his life. He figured it could only get better from there, because it couldn't get much worse.

Dragging himself to his feet, using a nearby tree for support, Kaneto nearly fell over. He barely managed to catch himself. He rested his forehead against the trunk. When the world stopped rotating so quickly, he took a few tentative steps. His muscles screamed in protest. Kaneto didn't listen. He had to get to the palace in Eiyou if it was the last thing he did.

*****

To be continued…

End Notes:

One more, I think. ~Sapphire


	8. Part Eight: Deeprooted Evil

Disclaimer:

Does anyone care about these disclaimers as long as there's the blanket disclaimer? Read the blanket disclaimer if you do.

Warnings:

Language. Tasuki. PG. Overall PG-13.

Notes:

The holidays are coming up. That means new Anime for me! I'm looking for a new series to see. Something that has a complex plot, deep characters, and good animation. I dislike things like _Dragonball Z _and _Yu Yu Hakusho_. I can't stand the battle after battle type anime. _Pokemon_, ew. I've been following _InuYasha_ and _Rurouni Kenshin _on Cartoon Network. I like both of those. I loved _Gundam Wing_. Any suggestions? ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Eight ~ Deep-rooted Evil

Traveling a winding path through the countryside, the landscapes were changing gradually day by day. They were headed more or less east, toward the mountains, and the rolling farmland was quickly turning into foothills. The plant life was changing as they moved ever eastward and upward. The climate was becoming more temperate, and the trees were becoming more numerous. There were evergreens intermixed with the hardwoods, now. Water was not scarce or hard to come by. The hills were filled with hidden lakes, streams, and natural springs. As the days passed, Aneko found herself drawn to the company of Tasuki. With him, there wasn't constant tension like there was when she was with Chichiri. There was good-natured teasing back and forth, making Aneko feel as though she belonged. They were becoming friends, and she realized she really needed that.

"I bet ya can't lift that rock," Tasuki challenged, pointing to a sizeable boulder on the roadside.

"I think I can," Aneko said, stepping up to it. She had begun to be able to exercise Nuriko's powers about as well as she could use Tamahome's. She'd been making progress, and she practiced with unwavering enthusiasm every chance she got. She had discovered it took some type of emotion to drive that power. Somewhere in the depths of her mind she recalled Suzaku's power came from the strength of the human heart. It made sense, then, that human emotion would drive that power.

"You never lifted anything that big before," Tasuki said. "I don't think ya can. I'd bet a bottle of sake on it."

"Do you mean that bet?" Aneko asked with a challenging grin. "If I can't lift it, I buy you sake. If I do lift it, you buy me sake."

"You don't drink sake," Tasuki pointed out.

"Just because you've never seen me do it," Aneko corrected, "doesn't mean I haven't. Actually, I like sake." Tasuki laughed.

"You're on. Now get to it." 'Willow' emblazoned itself on Aneko's chest as she found a good grip on the large rock. She carefully started to lift. The boulder budged a little, then a little more as Aneko loosened it from the earth. It was bigger than it had looked. Aneko took a deep breath and pulled with all her might. The boulder lifted about a half meter out of the ground, just so the bottom of it was visible. Then she let it drop back in.

"I'm not tall enough to pull it out of the ground," Aneko pointed out. "I lifted it, though. Do I win?" Tasuki thought a minute. She had definitely done better than he'd thought she would.

"Okay, but you have to share the sake."

"With you?"

"Who did ya think?" Tasuki winked at her.

"You two stop playing around," Chichiri interrupted. "We should make camp soon, no da." The three of them quickly located a suitable site and camp was established in short order. Fresh filets of fish were sizzling on a hot, flat stone in the fire for their supper.

"It smells delicious," Aneko complimented Chichiri's fish.

"I'm starving," Tasuki agreed, ogling the nearly completed meal. There were sizzling away, giving off the most delicious smell when the flames flickered and went out, darkness closing in all around them. Not even the glow of coals remained. Tasuki stared at the blackness in disbelief. "What the hell is going on?" he demanded.

"Something isn't right, no da," Chichiri said. Tasuki heard someone moving on the other side of the dead fire. "Aneko, give me your hand," Chichiri said. "Let's get out of here." Tasuki heard them stand, and he stood, too. Gravel crunched beneath their feet, and Tasuki heard a slip as someone stumbled in the dark. "Aneko," Chichiri's voice wavered as he apparently lost his own balance when a bright light flashed through the air. "Tasuki! What is it?"

"How the hell should I know?" Tasuki responded, holding his arm across his eyes to shield them. "I can't see."

"We're trapped," Aneko said. "It's a wall of- of fire." Tasuki was blinking hard as he tried to let his eyes adjust to the brilliant light. Nervously, he started around the remains of the campfire toward Aneko while Chichiri slowly got to his feet.

"Shit!" Tasuki exclaimed, a fiery force field knocking him flat on his back before the inner barrier disappeared from sight.

"Tasuki!" Aneko shouted with concern. "Are you all right?"

"I'll live," Tasuki answered, slowly getting back to his feet. This time he tried walking the other way around the dead campfire toward Chichiri. He held a hand out in front of him, expecting another inner barrier. "Ow!" he pulled his hand back as quickly as he could, the strange shield flared up in orange flames before disappearing from sight once again.

"We're cut off from each other, no da," Chichiri said. "Who's doing this?"

"Hell if I know," Tasuki responded, "but I suddenly feel like a bug under glass." The three looked around at the fiery dome surrounding them.

"I wonder if we can break out," Aneko mused. "I might be able to…" 'Oni' lit up on her forehead.

"Be careful, no da," Chichiri cautioned. "You haven't had a lot of practice."

"I'll be careful," Aneko replied, building life force around her. With as much control as she could master, she unleashed her life force, sending it from her like an explosion. The integrity of the barrier holding them wavered, for an instant, but it held. Aneko dropped to the ground anticipating a backlash. Lucky she did because the energy she'd thrown at the barrier bounced back, then ricocheted around until it hit the ground with a crack that sickened her.

"Aneko!" both Tasuki and Chichiri shouted. Slowly she lifted her head.

"I'm not hurt," she said, getting to her hands and knees, "I ducked."

"Are you trying to get yourself killed or something!?" Tasuki shouted at her, gasping. Aneko opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by maniacal, disembodied laughter echoing within the dome of fire. All three of them looked around, searching for it's source, but there was no one there but them.

"Very amusing," the disembodied voice echoed.

"Who are you?" Chichiri demanded. The laughter once again filled the space. Aneko covered her ears with her hands, trying to keep the sound from ringing so loudly in her head.

"Stop! Stop it!" Aneko shouted, "Why are you doing this?" The laughter ceased.

"I am Sekihei, soon to be supreme god and controller of this world," the disembodied voice said. "And you, Suzaku no Orakuru, are about to die. Don't bother saying good-bye to your friends, they'll be joining you shortly." Aneko gasped in shock. The voice began to laugh again, and the walls of her prison suddenly burned around her, slowly coming closer together, closing in on her.

"No!" Aneko shouted, terrified as the walls pulled in closer. A reddish shield formed around her. She spun around to look at Chichiri.

"I don't know how long it will hold, no da," he said. "We have to find a way out." Tasuki pulled his Tessen from the scabbard on his back.

"Fight fire with fire, I always say," Tasuki said. "Lekka Shien!" Tunneling flames shot from the weapon. "What the hell?" His attack had the opposite effect as he'd intended. Aneko watched as the walls actually absorbed the flames. Everyone stood in disbelieving silence for a moment. Tasuki sighed. "What about you, Chichiri. Any ideas? I'm fuckin' worthless."

"I could throw everything I've got at the wall," Chichiri suggested tentatively. "I don't know, no da. If it doesn't work, I don't think I can duck the backlash fast enough."

"We can't let her kill us," Aneko said, 'oni' lighting her forehead. "We've got to try something."

"You're not strong enough, no da," Chichiri warned quickly when he saw her intent. "You might have his abilities, but you don't have Tamahome's strength or his experience." 'Oni' faded away, to his relief.

"I might not have the strength or the experience," she said slowly, "but you do." Chichiri looked up at her. She had a hopeful look on her face, and a sense of optimism that reminded him of Miaka.

"I think I know what you want," Chichiri sighed. "It might work."

"What?" Tasuki demanded.

"Concentrate your life force into my staff," Chichiri said, removing his mask with a solemn air. Tasuki didn't argue, Chichiri was thankful for that. Chichiri pooled his own energy with Tasuki's, letting his shakujo act as a vessel for the two life force energies to converge. "Aneko, I'm going to drop the barrier I put around you." Aneko nodded. The shield surrounding her, holding the fiery walls at bay, slowly dissipated. She was forced to get down on the ground to keep safely away from the ever nearing edges.

"Anytime now, Chichiri," Tasuki urged, watching as Aneko was forced into a tighter and tighter space.

"It's not enough," Chichiri replied, a nervous pitch to his voice. "It's not enough to break the barrier, no da."

"It'll break," Aneko said with conviction. "It wavered before." She looked between the two seishi. "I'll help." A moment later Chichiri could detect her life energies converging with his and Tasuki's. There was a lot of power there, he noticed, more than he would ever have guessed.

"Just a little more," Chichiri said, judging the time they had left before their cage closed in on Aneko. "A little more."

"Shit, hurry up," Tasuki urged again.

"Tasuki, get down," Chichiri ordered. Tasuki hit the ground a second later. Throwing a protective barrier around Aneko and Tasuki at the last second, Chichiri forced the enormous amount of energy from the shakujo, aiming it right at the center of the fiery dome. If it held, he would have no chance of surviving. The backlash would surely kill him. If he was lucky, the protective barriers he'd thrown up around his friends would hold long enough to spare them. For a moment, it looked as though the dome was going to hold. Then, with a flaring blaze, brighter than when it appeared, the fiery force field broke apart like shattering glass. The blast blew away every bit of it, scattering it far.

*****

To be continued…

End Notes:

That's it for this post! Look for more in the beginning of December! ~Sapphire


	9. Part Nine: Aftermath

Disclaimer:

Yu Watase created Fushigi Yugi. Hats off to her!

Warnings:

Tasuki's foul language. Rated PG-13.

Notes:

Well, here we are, another post! I kind of left you hanging in November. I didn't really realize I was doing that! A consequence of writing way ahead of my posting. Writing ahead is necessary, let me assure you. I'm really struggling with the final installment of "Oracles". My big problem now is passage of time. So far time moves more or less at a steady pace, a day to a week at a time. In the beginning chapters of "Destiny Altered" I need to progress quickly through several _months_! It's hard to work it out without the flow of the narration becoming choppy. Grrrrrr. Oh, who am I kidding? I love the process of writing this! ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Nine ~ Aftermath

As the dust settled, Tasuki rose from the ground, the reddish shield around him flickering before it disappeared. His first concern was Suzaku no Orakuru. He scrambled over the now uneven ground until he found her.

"Shit. Are you okay?" he asked as she got to her knees, shaking the debris from her hair.

"Fine. You?"

"Fine."

"Chichiri?" Both Aneko and Tasuki looked where Chichiri had been just before the ensorcelled fire wall collapsed.

"Chichiri?" Tasuki picked his way across the short distance between Aneko and the place where the monk had stood. He found Chichiri laying in the dirt, unconscious. "Chiri!" Aneko was beside them instantly.

"Chichiri," Aneko placed two fingers to his neck, searching for signs of a pulse. Her hand shook so much, Tasuki wondered whether she could detect his pulse at all. After a few terrifying moments, Tasuki saw Chichiri's chest rise as his lungs filled with air.

"Hey, he's alive," Tasuki said. Aneko instantly relaxed. "Hey, Chichiri, wake up," Tasuki said, shaking him gently by the shoulder. Chichiri didn't stir. Tasuki looked at Aneko in concern. "You think he's okay?"

"He's not dead," Aneko said uncertainly.

"Then why the hell is he unconscious," Tasuki demanded.

"If I had done what he did, I'd be exhausted," Aneko said. Tasuki's shoulders sagged and he sighed. If she'd done what he did, she'd probably sleep for a week.

"I guess," he said. He straightened up. "Well, I sure as hell don't wanna stick around here."

"Me either," Aneko said. "Let's find someplace safe to take Chichiri."

"The Mt. Leikaku stronghold's too far," Tasuki said. "I think I know a place, though." He looked around their destroyed camp. "You sit with him while I get what's left of our supplies. Damned…thing…that…demon…"

"Sekihei," Aneko supplied. "She called herself Sekihei."

"Damned Sekihei," Tasuki finished as he began picking over what remained of their belongings and supplies.

*****

Tasuki, with Chichiri secured to his back, led Aneko to a cave with cool air gently wafting up from deep inside the earth. Within minutes they had the monk settled comfortably as possible on a sleeping roll, and a simple camp set up within the cave. Tasuki used his tessen to get a fire quickly started. Though he didn't like using the powerful weapon for such trivial tasks, he was more than willing to make an exception for his friend. Despite the summer heat, a fire was necessary in the cave to keep the chilly air at bay.

Their delicious fish were a complete loss, but Tasuki had managed to salvage a portion of the food supplies. Aneko put on some water to boil and made a tea from the rescued food stores. Neither she nor Tasuki was very hungry. They drank it in silence, both keeping a vigilant eye on Chichiri. Feeling drained from the encounter with Sekihei, they found themselves heavy eyed and on the verge of sleep. They tried to remain awake, but Tasuki's snores soon filled the cave with Aneko already asleep sitting propped against the cave wall.

*****

Chichiri ached everywhere when he awoke to morning's light. His temples pounded, and moving his hands up to massage them made every muscle in his upper body complain loudly. He put his hands down and lay still a minute until his screaming muscles quieted, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling. It was a mystery to him where he was, though he guessed Tasuki had something to do with how he'd gotten there.

The attack that left him in his current state had taken them all completely by surprise. None of them had realized what was happening until it had been too late. From the moment their campfire was mysteriously extinguished, it had been too late.

"Why didn't I sense it?" Chichiri asked himself. "Why can't I sense a presence before it attacks, no da?" It wasn't just this incident. In fact, he hadn't been able to sense the demons that had attacked first Boushin, then Aneko, nor had he sensed the assassins that had attacked the Empress. "I could barely sense Sekihei when the fire barrier was all around us." Chichiri couldn't stand it. Was he loosing his abilities? Becoming weak? "I just don't get it."

He would have to depend upon his physical senses from now on, it seemed. Gritting his teeth, he rolled to his side to look around. Both Tasuki and Aneko were asleep nearby. Tasuki was sprawled out comfortably and appeared to be dreaming peacefully. Aneko was hunched against the cave wall. He guessed the attack had taken it's toll on them, too. Spying the water bag, Chichiri decided he was thirsty. Determined to let his friends sleep, he would get the water for himself. He almost changed his mind when he felt the angry protest of his muscles. He fell back down on his sleeping pallet. This wouldn't do. He had a duty to perform, he was responsible for protecting Aneko, and he had to be able to do it. Chichiri tried again, willing himself to sit, and finally to stand. Taking a step toward the water bag, he stumbled on his unsteady feet.

"What are you doing?" Aneko was awake and hurrying toward him. "You shouldn't be up. You should have woke either Tasuki or myself."

"I can get it," Chichiri argued, reaching for the water bag. Aneko lay a gentle, restraining hand on his extended arm. He glanced in her direction, and paused when he saw her concerned face with those big blue eyes looking back at him.

"You always take such good care of me," she said in a whisper. "Let me return the favor." Chichiri couldn't refuse; he didn't want to refuse. He nodded. Aneko smiled reassuringly as she raised his arm over her head and set it across her shoulders. Then she slipped an arm around his waist and helped him back to his sleeping roll. When she had tucked him into his blankets, she retrieved the water bag and brought it to him. She helped him sit up, and let him drink. When he'd had his fill of water, Aneko helped him settle back into his blankets. She lay a gentle hand on his forehead. Chichiri reached up and took hold of her wrist, pulling her hand away.

"I'm not sick, no da," he told her. She flushed pink and looked away. Chichiri dropped her wrist, then caught her hand in his with the same motion. "Not sick," he repeated, "but I think I know how you felt after you saved Boushin from that demon." Aneko's blue eyes fixed themselves on him again. "I can't find a single muscle that doesn't hurt." She smiled.

"I'd suggest a hot bath at Taiitsukun's palace…" Aneko said, glancing toward Tasuki, "but there isn't much privacy there, or peace and quiet." She giggled.

"Did he really walk in on you, no da?" Chichiri asked.

"Yes," Aneko laughed quietly. "When I heard him coming, I tried to get a towel, but I slipped. I was mortified, until I saw the look on his face…" she fell into a fit of silent giggles. "I almost wish you could have seen him," she furtively glanced in his direction, "almost but not quite." Chichiri had to laugh, too.

*****

"What do you want?" Kaneto didn't like the glaring guard that was posted at the palace gates. Kaneto knew he was a mess, but if it hadn't been for the guard's damned comrades, he wouldn't look as he did, all bruised and beaten.

"I got a message fer Tasuki," Kaneto said. "I speak ta no one but him." The guard leveled a dangerous glare on Kaneto.

"Get out of here, you low-life. Lord Tasuki won't be troubled with trash like you." Kaneto's eyes narrowed. Kouji had said he might encounter trouble at the gates. He fleetingly thought he could just find a way to sneak in, but Kouji had cautioned him against that.

"He'll wanna see me," Kaneto said. "I got a message from Kouji."

"We'll tell him when he gets back," the guard scoffed. "Whenever that is." Kaneto knew when he was being dismissed and pushed aside, and there wasn't much he could do.

"You do that," he said before finding a place to sit down along the palace's outer wall. Kouji had told him to wait for Genrou if he wasn't at the palace. He hadn't been doing a very good job of following Kouji's orders so far, and it was about time he did. Kaneto only hoped he wouldn't be away for too long.

*****

To be continued…

End Notes:

Part Ten, coming up! 


	10. Part Ten: Revelations

Disclaimer:

I'm just going to refer you to the blanket disclaimer in the first chapter.

Warnings:

None, really. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes:

Here's the last chapter of this post. I hope I don't disappoint anyone! ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Ten ~ Revelations

The trio stayed in the cave three days. The rest did them all good, and though two of the three believed they should stay longer, the other insisted he was up to traveling. The going was slow as they resumed their journey. The stops were more frequent, and they made camp earlier in the evening than they had before the encounter with Sekihei. Still, they made enough distance to make it bearable.

The stars of the Four Gods were drawing closer together. Aneko noted their progress in the night sky as time passed. Each night the worries nagging at the back of her mind grew louder while the pressure she felt to accomplish her goals became stronger. Neither Tasuki nor Chichiri seemed to feel it, and that bothered Aneko all the more.

Worse, as she worried over the aligning stars, dreams of Minoru and Marise came frequently. Some were like that passionate night with the stars shining down on them through the open window. Some were of happy moments; dancing, strolling, laughing, and love. Others were tinged with sadness, though Aneko never really remembered those dreams when she woke. She only remembered the sadness they left in her heart, and that the sadness she was feeling had belonged to Marise.

One night, standing on an open hilltop in the light of the full moon, Aneko gazed up at the sky, worry lines etched across her forehead, as she studied the heavenly lights above her. She figured the stars would align at the new moon. That gave her just two weeks to figure out what Suzaku had told her. She hoped it would be enough.

"Thinking about the star alignment again, no da?" Chichiri asked. Aneko wasn't surprised he'd followed her. Either he or Tasuki usually did when she strayed on her own.

"Yes," she replied. "I'm running out of time."

"If you're right about the alignment," Chichiri pointed out. "Suzaku didn't mention the alignment at all." Aneko responded with silence. They'd been through this more than a dozen times. Chichiri stepped closer. "If Suzaku didn't mention it-"

"Why would Suzaku tell you everything?" Aneko cut him off. "He's a god. He can tell you as much or as little as he wants."

"We don't have any good reason to believe the alignment is important, no da," Chichiri tried to reason. "It could just be a coincidence."

"It's an awfully big coincidence," Aneko said in a cold tone. "I can't explain how I know. I just do." She walked away from him, angry, and found a place to sit in the lush meadow grass. "_Why won't he just listen to me_?" She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, then bent her head down, resting her forehead on her knees.

Chichiri instantly regretted not listening to Aneko the moment he realized she was crying. He hadn't realized she was so certain about those four stars. Things had been awkward between them ever since they'd been on Mt. Daikyoku. They were steadily getting worse. He had to fix it, he realized, and now was as good a time as any. Quietly, he followed after her, and stood beside her. She didn't make a sound, but the slight shudder of her shoulders told him she was still in tears.

"Aneko," he whispered, taking his mask from his face and stowing it among the folds of his kesa. He waited patiently for her to acknowledge him. When she looked up, her eyelashes were still damp with tears, though she'd composed herself enough to face him. "Do you feel that strongly about those stars?"

"Yes I do," she said, her voice wavering slightly. "I've never been more sure about anything in my life, and neither you nor Tasuki will take me seriously."

"I'm sorry. I should have listened to you, no da," Chichiri said. "We'll figure everything out before the alignment." Aneko managed a half smile and he held out a hand to help her up. She accepted. "I want to apologize for something else while I'm at it, no da."

"If you want," Aneko allowed.

"That night on Mt. Daikyouku- If I-"

"I'm the one that should be sorry for that," Aneko said quickly. "I should have known the difference. I can't tell you how sorry I am. It was a terrible way to repay all your kindness, mistaking you for someone else like that; someone who's dead."

"No, it's not your fault, no da," Chichiri countered. "You didn't do anything, no da. I'm sorry if I made you think you did." She seemed surprised by his words.

"But it is my fault," she argued. "You're so good and decent, you pretended it was nothing. It was no use. I saw the look on your face... Not even your mask could hide it." Two tears escaped her rapidly blinking eyes. Chichiri just shook his head, then pulled her into a half embrace with one arm.

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"Yes I did. I saw your face. All because I was too absorbed in myself to realize-" She was silenced with a kiss. At first Aneko was so surprised she froze, but when Chichiri pulled away, she reached up and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him back to return his kiss. She didn't know why she never realized before that moment that she had feelings for him. She supposed she'd been too self absorbed to notice. Maybe she'd been in denial. Whatever the reason, she couldn't avoid the truth anymore.

To Chichiri, it felt so strange. It had been so long since he'd kissed a woman, but somehow it felt very right. He had loved Tenmei, he had no doubt of that, and he still did, but she was gone. He'd been attracted to Aneko from the beginning. He was a man, and she was an attractive woman, it was natural that he was drawn to her. Now, he realized, he was beginning to love her. Chichiri wanted to forget what had happened on Mt. Daikyoku. He held her tight, forgetting everything but her, and that moment. He didn't release his hold even after their lips parted. She rested her head on his shoulder, her arms loose about his waist. Time seemed to stand still, waiting for one of them to move and set it in motion once again.

Eventually Aneko untangled herself from his embrace and they stood facing each other in an awkward moment. Chichiri half expected Aneko to slap him. Even if her fiancé was dead, he really hadn't any right to kiss her like that. He wasn't even sure what had possessed him to do it. All he knew was that he didn't regret it, and never would.

"Chichiri," she whispered. He couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze, afraid she might be upset with him. "Chichiri?" she tried again, this time quieter. "Will you kiss me again?" Chichiri looked up sharply.

"You're not angry?" She shook her head.

"Are you sorry?" Chichiri shook his head. She smiled softly and slipped her hand into one of his. As far as he was concerned, there was no reason to deny her request. 

~~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: 

Feel free to review! ~Sapphire


	11. Part Eleven: Reprieve

Disclaimer:

Here's to you, Watase. Cheers.

Warnings:

Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes:

Okay, long time no post. I've been busy settling into my new profession, and a paying job. It feels soooooo good to get paychecks again! Unemployment sucks. I should be able to get a regular monthly posting up from here on in, except maybe in May. I have a bucket load of things going on that month. We'll see how it goes. Without further ado… I present Chapter Eleven! Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Eleven Reprieve

They were on the road early the next morning, making better time than they had in days. Tasuki couldn't believe how energetic and light of spirit both Aneko and Chichiri seemed. The tension that had once permeated the air between them was suddenly gone. It was a huge relief because he had other worries besides the two of them.

Mt. Leikaku loomed in the east, as it had for some days. Tasuki often looked upward toward the tall peak, wondering how his bandits were faring. He'd been worried ever since the earthquake. The mountain was not immune to natural disasters. Tasuki figured he'd been away nearly two months. That was a long time for a leader to be away. All he wanted to do was take a day or two out of their travel and pay a visit to his own mountain and check up on his men.

Around noon the travelers passed a little used road. Neither Chichiri nor Aneko paid much attention to it. Tasuki, on the other hand, took deliberate note of it. At the end of that road lay a small village called Shinkouyama. It lay at the very foot of Mt. Leikaku, but more importantly, it was home to a certain eating establishment the Leikaku Bandits enjoyed frequenting. If he could get there, he might even find some of his men partaking in a delicious meal and some sake. He wouldn't mind joining them himself. Miss Li Mei's cooking was always worth the trip.

"Do you think we could stop?" Aneko asked, interrupting Tasuki's harried thoughts. "It's miserably hot."

"Da," Chichiri agreed, "this humidity is suffocating."

"Why not," Tasuki shrugged. "There's a spring fed lake ahead." Ten minutes later they were standing on the shore of a sparkling lake.

"This place is beautiful," Aneko said, taking in the mountain vista. Tasuki and Chichiri were bent at the water's edge refilling the water bags. Aneko removed her supply pack from her back and sat down on a rock on the shore. She slipped her shoes off and dipped her tired feet into the cool water. "This is heaven," she said. "I think I'm going to have to go swimming."

"It's deep," Tasuki warned, eyeing the water dubiously. "It looks shallow, but it drops off damn quick."

"I don't mind," Aneko said, untying the laces of her sleeveless shirt. "Is is safe to dive from up there?" she pointed to a rock jutting out over the water.

"Uh-huh," Tasuki affirmed.

"Great," Aneko said, looking for a way up the rock.

"Climb up the back side," Tasuki said. "That's the way my men climb up." Aneko smiled her thanks and disappeared around the back of the rock. She reappeared moments later on the top.

"You plan on stayin' here the rest of the day?" Tasuki asked hesitantly. Aneko looked down at him from her perch on the rock. She wondered what he had on his mind.

"We can," she said, "can't we, Chichiri?"

"Da."

"There's a little village nearby, Shinkouyama, at the foot of the mountain. My bandits go there a lot. I was thinking I could stop in, see if Kouji or anyone is there," Tasuki said.

"You want to leave?" Aneko sounded surprised.

"I'd be back by morning," Tasuki said. "Latest. Besides, you'd have Chichiri with you." He looked at the monk. "Is that okay?"

"I think so," Chichiri agreed. "Aneko's a lot stronger with her powers now. If anything happens, we should be able to handle it, no da."

"You're sure I can go?" Tasuki suddenly seemed unsure his idea had been a smart one. He did have a duty to look out for Suzaku no Orakuru. Glancing up at her, it was hard to mistake her reluctance to let him go. Maybe he should stay…

"That's your mountain up there, right?" Aneko pointed up to the peak of Mt. Leikaku. "And the village is at the bottom of it?"

"Yeah," Tasuki said. She thought a moment.

"Then go do what you need to do, and I'll see you in the morning." Tasuki stood there for a moment, unsure what to do. "I'm not going to make you stay when you really want to go," Aneko said.

"Thanks." The bandit took up his gear and his water bag and headed back down the road.

Things had been quiet on Mt. Daikyouku for some time. It was a nice break from the hectic atmosphere of the place when people insisted on coming and going. Taiitsukun had much to do, not the least of which was training Nyan-Nyan. It wouldn't be long before Nyan-Nyan would take her place as controller of this world.

"You must concentrate," Taiitsukun instructed. "The mirrors will show you any event, past or present, as long as you concentrate." This was becoming frustrating.

"I'll try harder," Nyan-Nyan said, scrunching up her eyes and nose as she stared at the blank mirror. Taiitsukun groaned inwardly.

"That isn't right," Taiitsukun said.

"It would be easier," Nyan-Nyan said, "if I could look at what I want to see." Taiitsukun sighed.

"Fine," she barked. "Just as long as you make something happen." Nyan-Nyan giggled in delight and went back to concentrating on the mirror. To Taiitsukun's amazement, the glass began to cloud, then focus on something. "It's about time," she grumbled.

"It's Kaori!" Nyan-Nyan exclaimed. Sure enough, Byakko no Orakuru was standing on a wide balcony overlooking the capitol city of Sairou. There were two people with her, both old, yet very familiar.

"What is she doing?" Taiitsukun mumbled to herself, floating closer to the mirror for a better look.

"It's Tokaki and Subaru!" Nyan-Nyan exclaimed. "Yes they are! And they're with Kaori!"

"How can this be?" Taiitsukun fumed. "She knows better than to seek out the seishi. Hasn't she learned anything from all the things Suzaku no Orakuru has done wrong?"

"Kaori didn't seek them out," piped up Nyan-Nyan. "They're at the palace. Subaru and Tokaki went to her." Taiitsukun looked up sharply at the mirror again. Nyan-Nyan was right. They were in the palace, right where she had told Kaori to go.

"So it was Byakko, then," Taiitsukun said, understanding. "That Fur Ball is taking a page out of Bird Brain's book. What are the Gods thinking?"

"I, for one, am going swimming," Aneko said after Tasuki disappeared down the road. "Are you?" Chichiri froze as she shrugged out of her shirt, uncovering her shimmering silk undergarments. Chichiri started; he shouldn't be watching this, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. Aneko untied the sash at her waist, pulled it, and let it and her skirt fall to the ground. The silken garments she still wore clearly revealed every feminine curve. She took hold of one of these garments and began to pull it up over her head, at which point Chichiri suddenly realized he had to stop her before she removed anything else. He didn't know if he could handle it.

"Stop, no da," he said. "Don't take anything else off." She did stop, and she looked at him blankly.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because," Chichiri said, swallowing nervously, "It isn't proper, no da." She continued to stare. "You should bathe somewhere with more privacy. That, or I shouldn't be here." Chichiri turned to leave.

"Where are you going? Don't leave." Aneko jumped down from the rock and chased after him, catching hold of his arm. "I thought you were going to swim with me." Chichiri could feel warm blood rush to his face, and he knew he was blushing.

"I don't think I should," he managed to say.

"Why?" Aneko asked.

"Men and women just don't bathe together, or swim, no da." There was silence, and Chichiri couldn't look up. All at once she burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" Chichiri thought she might have gone mad, the way she was carrying on.

"You," she gasped through her giggles.

"What do you mean?" He leveled his gaze on her as she brought her laughter under control.

"In my world, everyone swims together. We wear swimming costumes so it doesn't matter. I wasn't going to take _everything_ off!" Fresh laughter erupted, much to the monk's annoyance. "I assumed we'd swim in our underclothes," she explained. She hooked a finger through the strap of the modern camisole she was wearing, and gazed at him with her beautiful blue eyes. Chichiri blushed again.

"I-"

"There's no one here but us." Aneko walked back toward the overhanging rock. "It's just swimming." She collected her discarded clothing and moved it somewhere safe from splashing. Then she disappeared around the back of the rock and climbed back up, clad in her odd array of modern and ancient undergarments. She gazed down at Chichiri from her elevated perch. "Are you coming?" Chichiri hesitated only a moment. Then he put down his shakujo and kasa and quickly shed the majority of his own clothes. Hurrying to the back side of the rock, he took hold of her extended hand and quickly climbed the rock.

"Come on." Chichiri watched Aneko step up to the edge of the overhang and perform a beautiful dive, cutting the water with minimal splash.

"I can't dive like that," Chichiri called to her the moment she broke the surface.

"So jump, then," she suggested, setting out on a leisurely swim toward the other side of the lake. Chichiri did, and landed with a splash. Coming up for air, he struck out after Aneko, easily catching up to her. They kept going until they had reached the far side of the lake.

"Let's go back and jump again," Chichiri said. Aneko laughed and nodded, and they turned around. Reaching the top of the rock, Aneko stepped up to the overhang, preparing to dive again.

"I'm not going to let you show off anymore, no da," Chichiri said, grabbing her hand. She didn't have time to react as he leapt off the rock, pulling her with him.

"Not fair!" she shouted as they fell toward the water. "Not fair! Not fair!" she repeated, gasping for air after finding the water's surface. She set out toward Chichiri, vengeance in her eyes, and Chichiri swam as fast as he could in the opposite direction. It was futile, he soon realized. She was a far better swimmer than he, and she soon caught him. She ducked Chichiri's head beneath the water.

"Now that was unfair, no da," Chichiri said, spluttering. Aneko laughed, but Chichiri caught her, and it was her turn for a ducking. Back and forth they went, until Aneko made a break for shore. Just as she reached shallow water, ready to run, Chichiri caught hold of her foot, tripping her. She fell with a splash. Before she could get up, Chichiri had her around the waist, and he threw her back into deeper water. She came up for air, laughing. "I win, no da," Chichiri said, a mischievous smile on his face. "I beat you back to land."

"Cheat," Aneko said, wading to shore. "It doesn't matter. There's no prize anyway." Chichiri gave her another mischievous smile.

"Yes there is," he said, "if you don't mind, no da." He reached out for her hand and pulled her into an embrace. Aneko smiled.

"Well, you did win," she said, "even if you did cheat." Then she reached up to give him a kiss.

To be continued…

End Notes: Chapter twelve coming up! Sapphire


	12. Part Twelve: Shinkouyama

Disclaimer:

While I do have a paying job, please don't sue, as I am fully aware I have no rights to FY and I am making zero profit off my little (he he) stories.

Warnings:

Alas, there is much foul language on yonder horizon. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes:

I changed my mind. I'm going to post four chapters total this post. It's sort of an "I'm sorry for not posting in months so let me make it up to you" things. ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Twelve ~ Shinkouyama

They had spent the remainder of the afternoon swimming and sunbathing. When suppertime neared, Aneko retrieved the discarded packs and started in with meal preparations. Chichiri had helped set up camp, but he had wandered off soon after to sit on the lake's shore by himself. Aneko had noticed he'd grown unusually quiet as the afternoon had progressed, but she hadn't worried over it. Not until she called him to supper and he didn't respond. In fact, he hadn't shown any sign he'd even heard her. She pulled their food from the open flames to keep it from scorching, and went to fetch Chichiri.

"Are you hungry? Supper's done." Chichiri looked up, startled. A haunted look was etched in his features, and she wondered what could be bothering him. She brushed her hand against the warm skin of his cheek, then bent and placed a feather light kiss on his lips. What she intended to be a comforting gesture had the opposite effect. If anything, he looked even more haunted than he had before she'd kissed him. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked. He caught her hand in his.

"No," he said, "but maybe I did."

"You didn't," Aneko said. He shook his head.

"You don't know," he said. Aneko was puzzled.

"Know what?" Chichiri only shook his head.

"Let's go eat, no da." It wasn't hard to figure out he didn't want to talk about it. Aneko didn't press the issue. If he wanted to tell her, he would.

"Okay. Let's go eat."

~~~~

Tasuki was in an excellent mood as he entered Miss Li Mei's Inn. It wasn't home, but it was close enough to do his spirits some good. And then there was Miss Li Mei's cooking. Anyone would be happy at the prospect of dining there. The door was wide open, as it usually was in the early evening, and there were voices inside. He hoped they belonged to some of his bandits.

The voices did not belong to his bandits. Instead, they belonged to some rather ornery looking men, who seemed to be demanding more than the proprietress was willing to accommodate. A lot more.

"Genrou!" she seemed more than relieved to see him.

"Miss Li Mei," he greeted, casually pulling his tessen from it's scabbard on his back. "These guys givin' ya trouble?"

"We was just leavin', right boys?" one of the men said. The others agreed, and they scurried out the door like rats.

"You couldn't have come at a better time," she said, relieved.

"They been bothering you a lot?" Tasuki asked.

"Yeah, ever since the Lotus Blossom was destroyed in the 'quake," Li Mei admitted. "It's getting harder to handle them since…"

"Since when?" Tasuki asked when she didn't finish her sentence.

"Well, since you and your bandits haven't been around."

"No one's been down here recently?" This was a surprise to Tasuki. If it weren't for the cooking they'd have come for the company.

"Not since before that 'quake," she said looking down. "And it's been even longer since you were here. Almost four months now."

"I'm sorry," Tasuki said. "Me an' the bandits were busy for a while. I wanted ta come down. Then I had ta go to Eiyou."

"Here, sit down," Li Mei said, pulling out a chair at the head of the front table. "Let me get you something to eat." She disappeared into the kitchen, and reappeared shortly after Tasuki had made himself comfortable. She had two plates of steaming rice and pork, the Leikaku Special, and a bottle of sake with two cups. She set one plate in front of him, and the other next to him. Then she sat down, setting the sake and cups between them.

"It's good as usual," Tasuki told her, digging in with relish.

"You looked hungry," Li Mei said. "Experience tells me you're all like ravenous wolves when you show up at my door."

"You know us too damned well," Tasuki said, giving her a crooked grin. She laughed. He liked the sound of it. There was no pretentiousness about her. She was always forthright and honest.

"I wouldn't worry about those boys up the mountain," she said as she dug into her own food. "They probably had some damage from the 'quake."

"Where'd ya get that idea?" Tasuki was curious now.

"Seems Lord Shou was robbed recently, up in the pass by some bandits." Tasuki laughed. "I think they might be friends of yours."

"They'd need money for the repairs," Tasuki agreed. Some obnoxiously noisy men came through the door. Tasuki looked up at them through narrowed eyes.

"Oh, you're already busy," one said lasciviously to Miss Li Mei. "I don't mind waitin' my turn. We'll have fun with your other girl while we wait. " Tasuki stood up, pulling his tessen from it's scabbard once again. They took one look at Tasuki, and left.

"Has it been this bad?" he asked. Li Mei sighed. 

"They can't quite get through their heads that this is NOT a brothel. With the Lotus Blossom gone, they're all flocking here." She sighed again. "Masako and Natsumi are good girls. The only thing I used to have to worry about was that Kaneto of yours making sheep's eyes at Natsumi. Now I'm worried someone's going to try and take what they can't buy."

Tasuki finished his meal in silence. There was something different about Li Mei. Maybe it was the extra harassment of the local rabble. He'd had to chase people off twice, when normally she was able to do that herself. There had to be more to it, which meant Li Mei was keeping something from him that others must know.

"Do you want to take a room?" she asked as he finished his meal.

"You know damn well I won't," Tasuki said. "If the leader of the Leikaku Bandits stays under your roof, your reputation goes into the gutter."

"The barn then?" Tasuki nodded. They got up from the table, and Tasuki followed her out. Li Mei leaned against a support beam as he unrolled his bed roll on a clean pile of hay.

"You're awfully quiet," he said.

"Why don't you just take a decent room," Li Mei said, resigned. "It doesn't matter anymore. My reputation is already ruined."

"How?" Tasuki asked suspiciously, his eyes narrowed accusingly at her.

"You'd notice eventually, too. The entire village already has." She pulled her apron off and smoothed out her dress. Then she turned to the side so he could see her profile. She set a hand on her belly, looking at him with frightened eyes. It was hard to miss what she was telling him. "It's not easy to hide when you're four months along." Tasuki was speechless as he watched tears well up in her eyes. "I'm not married, Genrou. They all think I'm a prostitute. Why did you stay away so long?"

"Li Mei…"

~~~~

Kouji paced up and down the length of his tent, ignoring the man sitting on a mat on the ground. Kaneto had been gone over two weeks. Kouji had expected his return before this. Every day, whenever he had a few spare moments, he would climb up the wall and look out over the pass and valley for any sign that Genrou and Kaneto were on their way. There was no one, save the rare trader headed through the pass. Not even thievery could cheer him up. It was almost certain something was wrong. Either Kaneto had found trouble, or Genrou wasn't to be found at the palace in Eiyou. Either way it worried Kouji.

In the time Kaneto had been gone, Kouji had sent Satoshi out on another spy mission. The report he'd brought back was more than disturbing. It was frightening, and Kouji hated admitting, if only to himself, that he was scared of anything. Satoshi had watched the mercenary camp for several days, intent on learning it's habits and living patterns. During those days, the camp grew by more than a hundred men. Kouji knew Satoshi well enough to know his estimation was as close to accurate as counting individual heads. Where the men were coming from was a mystery to both Satoshi and Kouji.

"She was there, too," Satoshi said. Kouji looked up, still continuing to pace. "That devil-woman. The one who wrecked the hideout."

"Who the fuck is she?" Kouji demanded. "Why the hell would those damned mercs listen ta her? Are they listenin' ta her?"

"A man with black hair an' a purple 'n gold cape, he's the one givin' orders."

"Purple 'n gold cape?" Kouji was incredulous. "They got a pansy given' orders?" Satoshi snickered to himself. Kouji gave him a silencing glare.

"He's in 'an out a the black tent all day," Satoshi said. "_Her_ tent."

"_Her _tent?"

"Her. The devil-woman."

"Shit," Kouji swore. "She _is_ givin' all the fuckin' orders." This wasn't what Kouji had wanted to hear. What he wanted was to hear the mercs were just that…mercenaries hired for another's purpose. A woman who can cause massive earthquakes just by putting her hands to the ground was not someone who would _hire_ an army. There was a lot more going on that met the eye. Things that he simply didn't have the experience or knowledge to combat. He needed Genrou back on the mountain and in charge of the bandits. More than that, he needed Genrou because Genrou was Tasuki, the celestial warrior. Tasuki would know how to handle this. The best Kouji felt he could do was try to keep the mountain from falling into that woman's hands until Genrou returned.

"They got divisions comin' and goin' all day," Satoshi continued. "Sometimes just a couple men, sometimes dozens." That made Kouji feel worse. The stars only knew what they were up to.

"How long were they fuckin' gone?" Kouji asked. "What did they have with 'em?"

"Depends. Sometimes they'd be back in a few hours. Sometimes, a couple a days." Satoshi thought hard for a moment before going on. "Mostly they had swords," he said. "Standard Kuto Army issue, from before the war." Now that was news.

"Leftovers from Nakago's armies?" Kouji asked.

"Can't say," Satoshi shrugged. It didn't' matter to Kouji. Now they were getting somewhere. Information they could use, information they could do something about.

"Why were they comin' and goin' and where did they go?"

"Most a the small groups were patrols," Satoshi said. "Weren't military, but they were organized." It made sense they would patrol their own perimeters. "The bigger groups, they looked like they'd been fightin' when they got back. Sometimes they'd bring stuff back. Sometimes they had food, sometimes other stuff. Once they brought back crates full a candles." Now that was interesting.

"What did they do with the candles?" Kouji asked.

"Lit 'em all that night. Used 'em all up. The devil-woman kept some. I think she uses 'em in her tent at night. She's got a table in there, covered in scrolls and parchment. She works on it late at night. I seen her twice when she left the flap open."

"Think they're takin' it all from traders?" Kouji's mind was racing. "We ain't seen many traders in and out a the pass. The road's usually jammed this time a year."

"I only know what I saw," Satoshi said. Kouji didn't care. He had a good idea what their game was. They were choking the Mt. Leikaku bandits. Probably. Without traders to steal from, the Leikaku bandits would have no ready supply of loot or valuable goods. It was like cutting the supply lines to a castle to starve them out, or weaken them to make an attack easier to accomplish. An odd practice for a woman who could create earthquakes with her bare hands.

"Then there's the armored guard," Satoshi said. "They wear heavy armor. The leather parts are purple. So purple, it's almost black." Kouji looked at Satoshi, stopping his pacing to stand in front of him. "They don't do anything unless that devil-woman tells them. Not even the pansy guy can give them orders."

"Why didn't ya tell me about them right away?" Kouji said, alarmed.

"I was givin' ya everything in order. They didn't show up 'till this morning. The devil-woman was mad. Wherever they was at, they had some trouble. If I had ta guess, I'd say they lost some men."

"Anything else?" Kouji asked. Satoshi shook his head. Kouji nodded slowly. "Go. Get some sleep. I might have a new job for ya tomorrow." Satoshi nodded again, then quickly rose and slipped out of the tent. Kouji stuck his head out. Tohru was standing guard near his tent. "Did ya hear all that?"

"Every word," Tohru nodded.

"What do ya think?"

"That woman's trouble, that's what I think." They stood in silence a moment. "We should watch the pass, Kouji. I think ya got it right about the traders. There ain't been too many this year. Pickins are slim."

"Maybe a patrol of our own," Kouji added. "Find out where those mercs go when they're not patrolin' or lootin' traders."

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: Sometimes I have to laugh when I edit my own work. Did you know, in the original version of this chapter, Li Mei brought Tasuki two _palates_ of steaming rice and _port_? Where do I get this stuff? ~Sapphire


	13. Part Thirteen: Living Stone

Disclaimer:

What is there to say? Don't own it, don't claim to.

Warnings:

Overall rating of PG-13. No specific cautions for this chapter.

Notes:

Let's have an update on my total progress. Oracles of the Four Gods has come to a standstill with 12-13 chapters left to be written in "Destiny Altered," the final installment of this bitty trilogy. It's that darn transition thing again. I KNOW how this is all going to end. I just can't seem to get it there in a satisfying way. Send me some positive vibes. It just might help. ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Thirteen ~ Living Stone

Dawn found Aneko and Chichiri partaking in a silent breakfast. Aneko was content to leave Chichiri in peace, and occupied herself with the breathtaking views of morning. Steam rose in fog-like clouds from the lake, spilling over onto shore. Far above the white puffs of steam rose Mt. Leikaku which was partly bathed in sunlight, and partly shrouded in it's own shadow. Despite her worries over Chichiri, she couldn't help but feel excitement over this new day.

Chichiri helped Aneko clean up after breakfast by taking their meager dinnerware to the lake to be washed. Aneko rolled up their sleeping pallets and put out the morning fire. As she looked around camp to make sure nothing was forgotten, she did a double take toward the lake. Chichiri knelt at the water's edge scrubbing the last plate. Beside him was the overhanging rock they'd jumped from the afternoon before. In the fog-like atmosphere, it looked strangely different. Aneko thought, despite the translucent clouds of steam, the rock shouldn't look as different as it did. She took a few tentative steps closer. Her blood felt like ice water in her veins. It could be a trick of the fog, she reasoned, but instinct told her not to fool herself. The rock had moved.

"Chichiri," she said, breaking the silence. He looked over his shoulder toward her. "Chichiri." He turned to look in the direction she was staring. With a grinding rumble a massive form of rock, hewn in the shape of an oversized human, rose atop the overhanging rock with the thick fog swirling around it. It's blood red eyes were looking directly at the monk on the lake's shore. "Chichiri!" Behind him a lopsided chunk of stone was hurling toward his head. Aneko's warning was just in time. Chichiri was able to evade the deadly missile.

"Aneko! We've got to get out of here!" Another broken chunk of rock was sailing toward Chichiri. He dove, narrowly avoiding being hit. Aneko heard a whining sound and whirled around. Several more pieces of broken stone were flying toward her this time. She dodged, throwing herself back, and to the side. She wasn't quick enough. One dulled rock clipped her side. "Aneko!" Chichiri was next to her in an instant.

"I'm okay," she assured him, quickly getting to her feet. "Chichiri, here come more!" A shimmering red light wavered in the air around them for a second as Aneko dropped to the ground to avoid being hit. A moment later, the rocks bounced away harmlessly as a protective barrier shielded the two of them. Chichiri dropped to one knee beside her, leaning on his shakujo.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes," Aneko said, sitting up, holding her side. "It's sore, and I'll probably have a bruise, but I don't think there's any serious damage." Chichiri nodded, then turned to look at the creature on the top of the overhanging rock. More jagged shards of stone were rocketing toward them, but the shield was holding well.

"It's another demon," Chichiri said.

"Do you think Sekihei-"

"Maybe," Chichiri said. "She's powerful enough." They stared at the demon in silence for a moment. "It's somehow controlling the rocks."

"How do we stop it?"

"A lot of chi should destroy it, no da," Chichiri said. The ogre symbol lit up Aneko's forehead. Chichiri nodded, then dropped the shield protecting them. They ran like hell to avoid the deadly rocks flying through the air. Going in two different directions confused the demon temporarily. It gave them just enough time to find some shelter from the demon's main assault. A moment later, two simultaneous attacks were being directed on the demon. Despite their combined power, they only seemed to be annoying the demon, doing nothing to hurt or weaken it.

"Need a hand?" Tasuki's voice was a welcome sound as he joined the attack on the demon, the hot flames of his tessen blackening the demon's rock body.

"It's about time you showed up," Chichiri shouted.

"Hey, it's not my fault you started the fun without me," Tasuki shot back, his usual cocky attitude well in place. Even with Tasuki's aid, their attacks did little to stop, or even to hinder the demon.

Another rock came sailing at Aneko's head, barely missing her. Frustrated and frightened, Aneko picked up one of the rocks that had been flung at her, and threw it with all her might, using both her own and Nuriko's strength. There was a loud crack as the rock shattered against the demon. She was surprised, though, when she noticed she'd cracked the outer shell of the demon, the inner blood red light glimmering through.

"Aneko!" Tasuki called, seeing the glimmering crack. "Get over here!" She slipped from tree to rock, making her way toward the two seishi. "I have an idea," he said. "Chichiri, give your shakujo to Aneko."

"I need it to channel my chi," Chichiri argued.

"I don't fuckin' care," Tasuki yelled. "Give it to her, and get behind that damn rock. Trust me on this."

"What can I do with-" Aneko began.

"You're gonna throw it an' lodge it in that crack you made," Tasuki said.

"Hit it at it's core," Chichiri nodded, then disappeared into his hat. Chichiri knew what he was expected to do for his part. Tasuki glanced at Aneko. She looked scared.

"Just throw it hard, straight at that crack you made," he said. Aneko held the shakujo awkwardly. Chichiri waved from his position behind the rock. "Now," Tasuki said. She seemed to hesitate, but an instant later the 'willow' symbol flared brightly, and she was balancing the shakujo, preparing to throw.

Aneko swallowed hard. She didn't need to be told she only had one shot. Her eyes sighted the crack then she threw the shakujo, much like a javelin, as hard as she could. Her aim was true, thanks to Nuriko. It hit the demon's rock shell, chipping flakes of hard rock away, and lodged itself in the demon's torso.

Chichiri leapt up onto the rock and grabbed onto his shakujo. Tasuki grabbed Aneko and dragged her to the left. She didn't have time to think as things happened successively. Chichiri's chi was burning red as he channeled it into the demon through the shakujo. Tasuki let loose his tessen's flames which were absorbed by the shakujo before being channeled into the demon along with Chichiri's chi. Aneko simply reacted. 'Oni' burning brightly on her forehead, her own chi joined theirs in the attack. The demon roared in anger as their glowing red power sent little tiny spider cracks all across his rock shell, but that's all they accomplished. A little web of cracks.

"Give it all you've got!" Chichiri shouted. Aneko was, for the first time, very afraid they were going to fail as the cracking stopped.

"It's not enough!" Tasuki shouted desperately. Aneko searched within herself for some reserve of power she hadn't yet tapped into. Tamahome could have blasted the demon apart by himself, she knew, and that reserve had to be somewhere. With all her will, and without relenting her attack, she delved into her inner self. The difference was astonishing. As her strong life force hit the demon, aided by Tamahome's abilities, a bright blue flash of light blinded them all before the demon broke apart. The rock exterior crumbled, and the red glowing core was unleashed in a powerful wave.

"Chichiri!" Both Tasuki and Aneko were stunned. Chichiri had taken the blast full force, trying to deflect it away from Aneko and Tasuki. He was thrown from the top of the rock, and he came to land meters from it's base with bits and chunks of rock raining down on him. Tasuki and Aneko ran to his side.

"Chichiri, can you hear me?" Aneko was frantic. "Answer me!"

~~~~

To be continued…

End Note: Onward to the next chapter! ~ Sapphire


	14. Part Fourteen: Seiryu no Orakuru

Disclaimer:

Please see chapter one of "Oracle's Destiny" if you want a disclaimer.

Warnings:

Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes:

So we come to the last chapter of this four-chapter post. My, how sticky things are about to get! (rubs hands together gleefully) Read on! Enjoy! ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Fourteen ~ Seiryu no Orakuru

"I'm not dead," Chichiri gasped. Aneko felt tears falling down her cheeks, she was so relieved.

"You're hurt," Aneko said. "You're bleeding."

"My head hurts," he said with a grimace of pain. Tasuki carefully lifted Chichiri's head so he and Aneko could inspect the gash.

"He's probably got a concussion, too," Tasuki said.

"Where else does it hurt?" Aneko asked, wiping the tears off her cheeks.

"Everywhere," Chichiri answered gruffly.

"Probably broken ribs," Tasuki said. "He's havin' trouble breathing." Chichiri coughed, and both Tasuki and Aneko could hear a strange gurgle from inside his chest. "I know that sound," Tasuki said. He looked grim. "He's bleeding on the inside. This is bad." They looked at Chichiri. The monk looked between the two of them, then closed his eyes.

"I think you're right, no da," Chichiri said.

"What do we do?" Aneko whispered. She held tight to Chichiri's hand, afraid.

"Can you heal him?" Tasuki asked. "Can you use Mitsukake's powers and heal him?"

"I don't know. I've never tried before." Aneko looked between Tasuki and Chichiri. One was nearly unconscious, the other was looking back at her, pleading. "I can try." She wouldn't make promises she wasn't certain she could keep.

"Be careful," Chichiri managed to warn her. "Mitsukake could heal…only once…in a day." Aneko nodded, touched by his concern for her despite his own danger, then closed her eyes and concentrated.

"_I really need your help, Mitsukake_," she pleaded silently. She didn't know if her plea would even be heard, or if it would help. She just knew she had to make it. "_Please help me use your power_." For a long time nothing happened. Then, she felt warmth in the palm of her hand. She opened her eyes and saw a soothing greenish yellow glow. She looked, and saw the symbol for 'sadness' glowing there. With the odd sense of knowing what to do, she held her hand over his heart, and let the healing power do it's job.

Chichiri was breathing easier, and the bleeding stopped. The rasping gurgle in his chest went away, and soon all his wounds were healed. It was a relief just to see the pain gone from his expression. As the greenish yellow light faded, and the symbol disappeared from Aneko's palm, Tasuki helped Chichiri sit up. Chichiri shook his head to clear it.

"How do you feel now?" Aneko asked, slouching tiredly.

"Better," Chichiri said with a little smile. "You did it."

"You're okay?" Tasuki asked. Chichiri nodded reassuringly. Tasuki glanced at Aneko. "You look tired," he said. Aneko smiled wanly and nodded.

"I'm fine," she said. "I can see why Mitsukake could only do this once a day. It took a lot out of me." Chichiri suddenly looked up at the overhanging rock where the demon had been. Both Aneko and Tasuki glanced in that direction.

"What?" Tasuki asked, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

"That power. There was a blue light, no da."

"I saw it too," Tasuki suddenly remembered. "Couldn't miss it. It was blinding."

"Did I do that?" Aneko asked. "Or was it the demon exploding?"

"Neither." Aneko, Tasuki, and Chichiri looked to each other in confusion. None of them had said that. They simultaneously turned to look toward the road.

Black leather boots shined on his feet, and a deep blue tunic with gold edging hung past his knees. Grey leggings, and a tan shirt were visible beneath it. By the way his clothes shimmered in the light, it was easily identifiable as fine silk. A well made, ornamented sword hung at his side, his only visible weapon.

"Who the hell are you?" Tasuki demanded.

Aneko was transfixed. The man was tall, with short, dark, blue-green hair. Her deep blue eyes stared with a strange mixture of disbelief and longing, his bright green eyes stared back, piercing her gaze. His mouth twitched as it slowly curved into a smile. Aneko's breath caught in her throat. She stood shakily and stepped past Tasuki and Chichiri, pausing half way between them and the man.

"The blue light was me, chosen of Suzaku. I'm Seriyu no Orakuru," the stranger said, his voice clear and almost melodic. "It's been a long time, Aneko. Did you miss me?"

"Danno!" she exclaimed, and ran to him. She collapsed into his embrace, somewhat shocked he didn't disappear. He was dead, but he was a real flesh and blood person holding her. She couldn't stop her tears; she could only hold him as tight as he held her.

Chichiri had to look away from the tender scene; Aneko sobbing relentlessly, the man whispering in her ear. She had called him by name, a name he'd heard before, a name belonging to someone dear to her. Aneko had loved him, in the other world, before Suzaku had brought her to Konan. She had been engaged to marry him. 

"Hey, what's that about?" Tasuki exclaimed. Chichiri looked up only long enough to see what he hoped he wouldn't have to see. "What's going on? Why is she kissing him? Who's this Danno guy?" He looked pointedly at Chichiri.

"Aneko was engaged to marry him in their world." Tasuki looked dumbfounded.

"But you an' her-"

"I knew," Chichiri said. "I knew about him. She believed he was dead." Suddenly there was no room in her life for him, except as her servant and protector. Whatever there had been between them was over. He should have known better. The mask he'd been without the last few days was quickly replaced.

"Chiri-"

"It's fine," he said. "This is how it is, no da."

~~~~

"It's all right. I'm here now," Danno softly whispered, smoothing Aneko's hair in a soothing manner. "Everything will be okay."

"But how?" Aneko asked through her tears. "You _died_. I saw you buried."

"I know it's been hard for you," Danno soothed. Aneko released him from her tight grip, and took a good look at him. Danno gently wiped her tears from her face. She looked so fragile. He just wanted to protect her from the world. "We can talk about everything later. Right now, I just want to hold you," he told her, caressing her damp cheek. He leaned down and tenderly kissed her again. They were finally together again and everything was right with the world.

"No, Danno," Aneko said firmly, pushing him away. Her words were cold and frightening. Danno looked down at her, shocked and confused, wondering what her purpose was.

"No?"

"Danno I-" she was searching for words. She was confused, too. Danno tightened his hold reassuringly. "How do I know it's not a trick? You died, Danno."

"That's what you keep telling me," Danno said. "But I'm not. How can I be dead? I'm here, and you're here…" Danno absently brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face.

"But- that night," Aneko breathed. 

"I'm so sorry I was late to meet you," he said seriously. "I was driving too fast, I know, but I wanted to get to you, Aneko." There were tears in her eyes, ready to fall but holding back. "There was a blue light in the middle of the road. I lost control of my car. I saw the street lamp, but strangely, I never hit it. I found myself lying in an alley in Kuto when I woke up, and Wataru and Kaori were there to take me to Taiitsukun." Danno reached out and clasped onto Aneko's hand. "How could I be here holding you if I were dead?"

"I don't know," Aneko said, her voice quavering.

"I'm real," Danno assured her. "I didn't want to leave you like that. Seiryu didn't give me a choice. I promise, we'll never be apart again." She didn't avoid his searching, hopeful, longing gaze. "Maybe you wouldn't remember me, but you didn't forget how much I love you."

"I missed you so much, Danno," Aneko said, tears wetting her face once again. "But it's different now. Danno, I have to tell you…" She trailed off. "I love you, you know." Danno smiled, pulling her into an embrace. He was beginning to think something was very wrong until she spoke those words. She pulled away from him, gazing into his face. She was so solemn, he wondered about it. She should be as happy as he was. "Danno, I'm not in love with you." Danno stared in stunned disbelief. He said nothing for the longest time. Then, slowly, the corners of his mouth turned up in a nervous smile.

"You're joking, right?" 

"I wouldn't joke about something like this," Aneko said. "Danno, as much as I care about you, I'm not in love with you." Her words hit him like a slap in the face and he froze.

"Why?" the word was strangled as he spoke, his eyes searching her face for answers.

"I'm so sorry, Danno." Suddenly he grabbed her arms, almost violently, and shook her. Aneko looked so terrified, he wanted to stop, but he barely had any control over himself.

"What happened?" Danno demanded harshly. She didn't say a word in response. "What happened to make you stop loving me?" His gaze pierced hers like daggers.

Aneko swallowed hard, frightened of Danno for the first time in her life. This wasn't the man she knew. He had never been like this before, never been so harsh or angry. With a few words he had changed before her eyes into someone she didn't know.

"I wanted to love you," Aneko told him. "I tried to. I kept telling myself I did." He was gripping her arms so tight, she could feel his fingers dig into her flesh. She couldn't keep a grimace from her face. "Danno, please let go. You're hurting me," she begged softly. "This isn't like you at all." Danno seemed frozen in place. "Danno, please," she begged again.

"She asked you to let go," Chichiri repeated forcefully, the character on his knee glowing red. Tasuki was behind him, his character glowing the same brilliant shade. 

As if coming out of a daze, Danno noticed the two men standing a few feet from him. Both were furious, and that fury was directed at him. He could feel Aneko tugging to free herself from his grasp. For a moment he was shocked at himself and stared, stunned, at Aneko. She wasn't looking at him, though. Her eyes were focused elsewhere, on her seishi, and they looked ready to beat him away from Aneko if need be. Danno stared, uncertain, at Aneko. She didn't even glance his way. Her gaze held steady on…the monk. Consuming hatred flared up inside Danno.

"You." Danno could hear a roar in his ears, and feel the all-familiar sensation of Seiryu as a faint blue light glimmered around him. "You did this, didn't you?" he accused, glaring at Chichiri.

"Danno, no," Aneko begged, sensing at once the change in him. Danno looked at her , his eyes narrowed in a glare.

"It's because of him, isn't it?" he hissed angrily. "You love him, don't you?"

"Danno! This has nothing to do with my feelings for Chichiri..." Aneko gasped in horror as Danno shoved her aside and faced Chichiri. A blue character flashed on his forehead.

"Nakago!" Chichiri gasped. Aneko knew she was powerless to stop it all.

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: What did you think of that? Feel free to comment and review! ~Sapphire


	15. Part Fifteen: Consequences of a Lie

Disclaimer:

Ah, what to say? Watase is brilliant, and I am just an inspired fan.

Warnings:

Overall rating of PG-13. There is a little Tasuki language.

Notes:

(This is updated to fix formatting problems. Sapphire)

I know, I know, it's been too long. I can't help it. Leaving college and settling into real life is a drag…and a lot of responsibility. But everything is cool now. I'm finally getting into the swing of balancing responsibilities, job, friends, fun, and writing. I can finally start posting regularly. Oh, and actually get to sit down and FINISH THIS FIC. Yikes. I've been wanting to for ages, but I just haven't had the spare time I need to really concentrate on reworking the _entire_ last half in the Oracles of the Four Gods trilogy. (I have a lot of plans floating through my head about how I want to rearrange already-written events in the last half (which I have not posted any parts of, so don't worry) but I haven't been able to sit long enough to do it and it's been driving me INSANE.) Anyway, only one part for this month. Enjoy! Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Fifteen Consequences of a Lie

Danno allowed himself a self-satisfied smirk. So the monk knew to be wary of the power once belonging to the Seiryu Seishi Nakago. That wisdom would not save him now.

"This is your fault!" Danno accused. "She showed up in this world alone and scared, and you took advantage of that." Danno raised a hand, a blue life force gathering in his palm. "You made her think she loves you." He unleashed the power of his own ki at the monk.

"Ahhh!" Danno watched as his power hit the Suzaku Seishi full force, knocking him back more than a dozen yards. Danno could feel the wave of his own power reflected back at him as Chichiri used every ounce of strength he could muster to deflect the attack. The backwash had no effect on him, but it was clear the monk had succeeded in sparing his own life.

"Chichiri!" Aneko cried out. Danno reached out and grabbed her before she could run to him. He would not let his fiancé go to another man.

"Chichiri? You okay?" Danno watched in dismay as the bandit, Tasuki, helped the stunned monk slowly back to his feet.

"That hurt, no da." Aneko's sigh of relief cut to Danno's heart.

"How could you do this to me?" he demanded, making her look at him. "How could you turn so quickly to another?"

"You're scaring me," Aneko said, her voice barely a whisper. For the briefest moment his mind screamed for him to stop terrorizing the woman he loved, but he was so angry, completely without control over his emotions or his actions. He shook her instead of releasing her, demanding an answer.

"You thought you lost me so you found someone else to take care of you? Someone more convenient?" Tears welled up in her eyes again; this time they were tears of pain. Aneko shook her head.

"No, that's not how it was," she denied.

"Liar," he said, dropping his hold on her, and slapping her across the face.

"Ow!" Aneko flinched then quickly backed away, stunned, covering her cheek with one hand. Her seishi were beside her in a moment. Danno just stared, open mouthed. He couldn't believe he'd struck her. He loved her. He would never hurt her like that, and yet, he just had.

"Aneko, I-" Danno was at a loss.

"Don't you talk to her," Tasuki snarled. "You've said plenty." Aneko allowed him to pull her farther away from Danno, shocked by the stinging slap. In all her life she had never known Danno to be violent toward anyone. If it didn't sting so much, she wouldn't believe he'd just struck her. Chichiri pulled his kesa off his back and spread it on the ground and stepped onto it. Aneko was numb, as Tasuki gently guided her to join Chichiri. Chichiri chanted the appropriate spell, and they slowly began to disappear into the robe.

"Where are you taking her?" Danno suddenly demanded, hatred burning in his eyes as he glared at Chichiri and Tasuki both. Aneko flinched at the sight, stepping back and knocking into Tasuki. He draped an arm around her shoulders protectively.

"Away from you, you son of a bitch," Tasuki said.

"You can't do that. She belongs to me," Danno said, stepping toward them. Aneko leaned into Tasuki's partial embrace for support as Seiryu no Orakuru neared. She did not know that man anymore. Tasuki pointed his tessen at the man, and he stopped in his tracks. "I'm Seiryu no Orakuru. She was destined to be with me." Aneko felt his gaze upon her. "Aneko, you know we're meant to be." Aneko had no response.

"Not today, she isn't," Tasuki replied.

"Bastards," Danno swore. "I'll get her back. And you will pay for turning her against me."

"That remains to be seen, no da." And then they were gone.

Empress Houki sat, bored out of her mind, in audience with her councilors. Nothing of any great importance had been done yet that day. Interrupting the senseless bickering, the Empress directed her councilors onto a more urgent matter.

"We wish to discuss Suzaku no Orakuru and the seishi. We demand a report on their last known movements." Response was immediate.

"Intelligence reports they were continuing east when last seen. They have left populated areas of eastern Konan and now wander the remote mountain areas."

"It has been suggested," another added, "they have gone to Mt. Leikaku. A band of bandits claims that mountain. It is a safe assumption that they may be involved in the attacks on Your Majesty's life, and on the Crown Prince."

"We doubt that very much," Houki laughed. "The Mt. Leikaku Bandits pledged fealty to His Majesty Saihitei during the war with Kuto. They have since pledged that same loyalty to us in Prince Boushin's name. If they intend to trek up Mt. Leikaku, it will more likely be to pay a friendly visit." A baffled silence fell over the chamber. The Empress delighted in proving, from time to time, that she indeed knew more about the kingdom than any other.

The silence was broken when a red glow filled the room. Before everyone's very eyes Chichiri, Tasuki, and Aneko appeared. Houki rose from her throne in nervous excitement at their abrupt return. When the red glow faded, Aneko stepped up the first step toward the Empress' throne.

"Your Highness," she said quietly. Then she sank down on the steps as she burst into tears.

"Council will leave immediately," the Empress ordered. Every member of the council fled, and the Empress hurried to her friend's side where she put a comforting arm around her. "What has happened?" Houki asked softly. Aneko was too distraught to answer.

Aneko had been sent for a hot bath before she was returned to her room. There the Empress joined her with a good supply of hot tea to share. Aneko sat up in bed, sipping a steaming cup while the Empress sat in the cushioned chair at her bedside doing likewise.

"It was Danno," Aneko told her. There were no more tears. It seemed Aneko had cried the last of them in the throne room. "I was engaged to marry him in my world."

"But how?" Houki asked. "How did he get here?" Aneko shrugged.

"I'm not sure. He said he was Seiryu no Orakuru. If so, Seiryu brought him. I only have one reason to doubt that."

"Which is?" the Empress prompted.

"It was an accident. It happened months before I was brought here. Houki, Danno died."

"He died?" Houki echoed, incredulous. Aneko nodded.

"We were attacked this morning, by another demon. The three of us together couldn't beat it. Then there was this blinding blue light, and the demon was destroyed. We didn't know what had caused it. That's when he showed himself. He was standing on the road, dressed in fine blue silk. He said he was Seiryu no Orakuru. It was Danno." Houki could not doubt the gravity of that realization. "I didn't believe my eyes at first," Aneko said. "I didn't think he was real. But he's living, breathing flesh and blood. He held me in his arms and kissed me. He told me he loved me."

"You found your fiancé again. You should be happy," Houki said with a sigh.

"How can I be happy?" Aneko countered. "He loves me very much, yes, but I don't return those feelings."

"You are not serious," Houki was shocked. "You call for him in your sleep. I have heard you. You were still grieving his death when you came to this world. The way you speak of him now, I can hear the grief in your voice still."

"I did grieve for him, yes. I cared about Danno very much," Aneko conceded. "I was going to marry Danno, too, but I was not in love with him."

"I wonder if you understand your own heart," Houki said thoughtfully. "It is easy to see the depth of your feelings for this Danno." Aneko sighed in frustration. Houki resisted the urge to reply with the same.

"I care about him very much, but I've never been in love with him, and I always knew it." Aneko sighed. "No one ever cared about me the way Danno did. I wanted to return his love so desperately. I told myself wanting to be in love and being in love were one and the same. I told myself a lie, and led others to believe in that lie. It was a despicable thing to do, and I regret it more than I can say. Danno was the best friend I ever had, and I betrayed him with lies. I betrayed myself with the same lies."

"Aneko, you are being far too hard on yourself," the Empress consoled. "If Danno had not died, what course would you have taken in life?"

"I would have married him," Aneko replied, "and it would have ended in a bitter divorce."

"Surely not," the Empress gasped. "You would have had a loving marriage surely."

"Houki, I've had a long time to think about this," Aneko said slowly. "Almost nine months now. I've taken a good look at myself, and I don't like what I've seen." Aneko sighed, and the Empress watched her carefully. There was no trace of doubt in Aneko's expression. "I tried to explain it to him, but he didn't understand any better than you do."

"You told him this?" Houki was completely stunned. "Aneko, you love him. Why would you tell him something so hurtful?"

"I couldn't lie to him anymore," Aneko said. "I know I should have been more gentle, but I was in shock. Here was a man standing before me whom I had thought was dead! He kissed me, Houki, kissed me with all the passion of his soul, and my affection for him a bare shadow in comparison. I never knew how weak my feelings toward Danno were until I fell for…" Aneko trailed off into silence, staring at the Empress with wide, surprised eyes.

"Your feelings for Danno are weak compared to whom?" Houki gave Aneko a demanding look. It wasn't the kind of look she would give someone when giving an Imperial Command, but it was a demand. She did not miss a thing, if she could help it, and she wanted the whole truth from her new friend. Aneko understood, on some level, that total honesty was crucial at this point of their blossoming friendship.

"Houki, I've fallen in love with Chichiri. And Danno knows. He saw through me into my own heart."

To be continued…

End Notes: Oh, I really don't know what to say. Only, a question. What do you think? Reply with a review…or not. It's up to you. Thanks! Sapphire


	16. Part Sixteen: Alone

Disclaimer:

Consult the disclaimer in part one. I'm busy right now.

Warnings:

Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes:

I finally got to sit and write for a week straight. I accomplished so much, so here are a few new chapters. Enjoy. Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Sixteen Alone

Chichiri sat watching over Aneko as she slept fretfully. She didn't know he was there, and he didn't want her to know. All he wanted was to make sure she was safe. He needed to protect her, especially from that man, Seiryu no Orakuru. He didn't know what the two of them had argued about, but he had seen enough to know Seiryu no Orakuru had become a threat to Aneko. He wondered why, when she seemed to have cared for him so much.

He watched Aneko closely; her brow was furrowed in worry, and she seemed to be dreaming a troubling dream. A few stray tears traced their way down her cheek. Chichiri smoothed her hair back away from her face, hoping his gentle touch would sooth her some. Then, he bent and kissed her lightly. He backed away to watch her.

"Danno," she whispered the single word, more tears slipping down her cheeks. The name echoed in Chichiri's head, stabbing at his heart as it did.

"Why?" he whispered. "Why do you still love him?" There was no answer, nor did he expect one. He pulled his mask from the folds of his kesa and slipped it over his face. He was glad to cover the hurt expression he couldn't keep from his features. Then he turned and left the room, not sure if she even wanted him there.

"Aneko, why?" _Danno was suddenly holding her so tight, Aneko thought he might be bruising her arms. She bore the sharp pain of his fingers digging into her flesh, knowing she was the cause of his pain. It had been her lie. It was all her fault._

"You still love me, Aneko," Danno said, his words more a plea than a statement. "You have to." Aneko shook her head, miserable and hating herself for doing this to Danno.

"No, Danno. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault-"

"No!" Danno shouted. His pained gaze shifted from her face toward…Chichiri. Where had he come from? The frightening chill of hate filled Danno's eyes. He turned back to meet her gaze.

"Danno?" Aneko felt very small and vulnerable, and not just a little terrified.

"I asked you to trust me, Aneko," he said. "I told you I was coming back. Why couldn't you trust me?" Aneko was shoved aside by her one-time fiancé and fell hard on the ground. Even in her dream it hurt to land in the hard dirt. A blue character lit up Danno's face. He held out a hand, blue energy gathering there, aiming it at Chichiri.

"Danno!" Aneko reached out to him to stop him, but it was too late. Chichiri was dead. Danno reached for her, grabbing her arms again, and wouldn't let her go to him.

"That Chichiri isn't real," he said, making her look at him. Aneko felt relieved. This was just another dream. But was this dream a revision of a previous dream, or had she really found Danno on a road in Konan? "But I am real, Aneko, and I love you. You still love me," he pleaded. "You have to."

"You were dead, Danno," Aneko said frantically. "There was a crash. You were dead."

"They told you lies," Danno said, shaking her. "I'm not dead. I'm here." Aneko pulled herself free and fell to the ground. Danno was on his knees beside her an instant later. "I've been here, in this world, the whole time waiting for you."

"What?" Aneko's tears ceased and she looked up at Danno. "Here?" Danno had never spoken like this in one of her dreams before. What was happening? Was she dead, too?

Aneko woke abruptly, disturbed and un-rested. Looking around her room she saw she was alone. She found it odd, after becoming accustomed to having certain people in her presence all the time. And she wanted to tell someone about her dream. It was just as well she was alone. She needed time to think about the possibilities her dream had brought to light. She could relate the dream to someone later, after she'd had a chance to consider it all.

After dressing, Aneko wandered out onto the palace grounds. Everything was becoming so complicated. She didn't know what to do with herself anymore. She sat on a low bench made of stone and stared upward, over the roofs of the palace pavilions. What she really wanted was for someone to tell her what to do next.

Then it occurred to her. Noticing the ornate spire atop the Shrine of Suzaku, Aneko remembered when she had first visited that place. Suzaku himself had spoken to her. He'd mentioned some purpose to which he would someday set her. She wondered if she had accomplished all he'd asked of her. If she had, maybe now he would give her a new direction.

Walking through the maze that was the palace, Aneko was intent on finding the shrine. She was so immersed in her mission, she failed to notice the pattering footsteps chasing after her. She only stopped when she felt a tug on her skirts. She turned around to see what it was.

"Prince Boushin," she said, surprised the little boy had paid any notice to her. He looked up at her expectantly. "Did you sneak away from your attendants again?" The little boy nodded. Aneko had suspected as much when none of his usual entourage was in sight. "Is there something you need?" He nodded again. "What is it?"

"You're mama's friend," he said.

"Yes, I am," Aneko said. "She's my friend, too. I'm lucky that she is." Boushin nodded.

"Are you my friend, too?" he asked.

"If you want," Aneko said.

"Hai," he said. Then he took hold of her hand and started walking with her. Aneko was bemused. She couldn't explain his strange attraction to her.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To play," he said.

"Hide and Seek?" Aneko asked.

"Hai," Boushin replied. "You're my friend." Aneko smiled. Perhaps Suzaku could wait a few hours.

Tasuki hung his head as he leaned against the side of the tall rock beside the palace's large pond. He knew both Chichiri and Aneko were drawn to this place when they were troubled, and he hoped it could do for him what it seemed to do for them.

It was a quiet spot, Tasuki had to admit, an ideal place for meditation or deep thought. Two things he didn't exactly excel at. He prodded at a clump of tall grass with the toe of his boot, then kicked a pebble he'd knocked loose into the water. He watched absently as the pebble sank out of sight and a ring of ripples spread out from where it had taken a dive.

"Oh, you're here, no da." Tasuki looked up at Chichiri and noted the monk looked about as cheerful as he felt.

"Yeah," Tasuki said with a huge sigh. "I was worryin' about some stuff, and wandered out here." He glanced at the monk. "I was hopin' I might find Aneko here." Chichiri stiffened at the mention of Suzaku no Orakuru. Tasuki briefly wondered why.

"She's sleeping," Chichiri said. "What are you so worried about, no da?" Tasuki heaved another sigh.

"Kouji and the others," Tasuki said. "They haven't been to Shinkouyama since before the 'quake." Chichiri found a place on the lawn to sit and made himself comfortable. "Miss Li Mei thinks they might a been the ones to rob old Lord Shou a couple weeks past. She thinks they're all right, but I'm worried."

"If they're up to their usual thieving, why are you so worried?" Chichiri asked.

"They haven't been to Miss Li Mei's," Tasuki said. "They never miss a chance ta eat there. Hell, they make excuses ta go down to Shinkouyama and eat there." Chichiri nodded thoughtfully. "We usually look out for Miss Li Mei. She's got a decent place, not like that Lotus Blossom up the street. The 'quake took out the Lotus Blossom, and some people are gettin' the wrong idea about Li Mei, Natsumi, and Masako. I'm worried about them, too."

"Tasuki?" Chichiri asked.

"Yeah?"

"I thought you didn't like girls." Tasuki groaned.

"It was a business deal," Tasuki said lamely. Then his eyes lit up. "A business deal that got the Leikaku Bandit's a real nice golden bonus. It would a made Tamahome drool." Chichiri groaned. Tasuki flashed his friend a mischievous smile, then turned serious. "I want to go to Mt. Leikaku. I gotta make sure everything's okay…and send Kouji ta check on Li Mei." Chichiri sighed.

"You can't right now," Chichiri said. "Neither of us can leave Aneko right now. Not until she's completed whatever duty she has here." Tasuki frowned and turned thoughtful for a moment.

"She says it's about the alignment," Tasuki said. "When is that?"

"Oh, eleven days, no da," Chichiri said.

"I'll wait that long," Tasuki said. "Then I gotta go, if I can."

To be continued…

End Notes: Now to the next.


	17. Part Seventeen: A Line Crossed

Disclaimer:

FY is not mine. Oracles of the Four Gods is. Deal with it. I have.

Warnings:

Overall rating of PG-13. This one is tame.

Notes:

My transitions are done. I've got it all in order. Now I just have editing to do. Lots and lots of editing. There are about forty chapters left for me to post. They'll go up quickly once I've finished that rotten editing. Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Seventeen A Line Crossed

Prince Boushin had attached himself to Aneko and refused to leave her side until his mother ordered him off to bed at the end of each day. Aneko didn't mind, she loved children, and she welcomed his company, he was such an imp. There wasn't a moment that went by he didn't amuse her in some way. She wondered if he was acting up just for that reason. If he was, she was grateful. It kept her from dwelling on things she had no control over. Chichiri especially. She hadn't seen him since she'd left the audience chamber the day they'd returned. That had been three long days ago. Was he avoiding her for some reason? Suddenly she noticed Chichiri wasn't the only one missing. The young prince wasn't walking beside her as he had been moments before.

"Prince Boushin," she called, wandering among the nearby shrubbery. It would be just like him to take it upon himself and initiate his favorite game. "Where are you?" She couldn't keep from laughing. She should have paid better attention.

"_Let's play Hide and Seek_," he had suggested with a giggle.

"_No, I don't think we should_. _It's getting close to supper time_..." She had trailed off into thought. The little prince of rogues had slipped away on her.

"Where _did_ you get to?" Aneko muttered as she crawled through a gap in a hedgerow that led out into the large park within the palace grounds. As she emerged on the other side, she was met by amused laughter.

"Lose something, no da?" Chichiri asked.

"Yes, actually," Aneko quipped, a little surprised to see him. "It's about yey high," she held a hand about two and a half feet above the ground to indicate, "and it goes by the name Boushin." Chichiri laughed again, and reached down to help her to her feet. "You haven't seen the little imp, have you? It's almost his supper time, and he escaped me."

"Hide and Seek, no da," Chichiri corrected. "No, I haven't seen him." Aneko sighed.

"He could be anywhere. How am I going to find him?" Aneko sighed again. She wished she could talk with Chichiri, now that she'd found him, but she had something more urgent to worry about. "Thanks anyway." She headed off into the park. Chichiri laughed again, and then giggled. She stopped dead in her tracks. Chichiri didn't _giggle_. Especially not in a high squeaky voice that sounded rather like the prince's. She slowly turned around, laughing at herself for allowing herself to be tricked. "You've got the rascal hidden somewhere, don't you?" She started poking around bushes and trees, but she didn't find him. Chichiri laughed, and Aneko heard the giggling again.

"He's not there, no da," Chichiri told her, an amused smile on his masked face. She raised her eyebrows at him, then seized his kesa. She looked it over inside and out for the little prince.

"You've got him stashed somewhere, I just know it," Aneko accused. "Boushin, come out right now."

"Find me," came the distant sounding, giggling voice. Chichiri laughed again. Aneko seized his kasa. She shook the hat until the little boy bounced out onto the ground at her feet. "You found me!" he squealed as she scooped him up into her arms so he couldn't get away again.

"Of course I found you, Imp," she said. "What would your mother say if I lost you?" He squirmed in her grasp, and she let him down. "It's time we go inside and get your supper, Prince Boushin. Your mother will be wondering where you are."

"Come with," the boy suggested. "You and Chiri come eat with me."

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Chichiri told him. "Aneko and I will have dinner with your mother tonight, no da." The little boy looked disappointed.

"We can have supper with you another night, Boushin," Aneko said. "Now go on, before your mother worries herself half to death." The little boy nodded, then ran off toward the palace buildings where his entourage could be seen waiting for him.

"We have some time before dinner, if you want to take a walk, no da," Chichiri suggested. Aneko noticed he was keeping his gaze far away from her. Her fear was confirmed. He was avoiding her. If there had been any doubts, his mask, firmly in place, erased them all. She didn't like that mask. It wasn't the real Chichiri. It was just a tool he used to hide his true feelings, and perhaps, his insecurities. During their travels, Chichiri had tucked it away somewhere out of sight. Now, it was obvious, Chichiri had closed himself off once again. Aneko suspected she knew the reason, and she felt guilty, despite knowing she had done nothing wrong during the confrontation with Danno. Regardless, she nodded, accepting the invitation and they fell into step. Chichiri was as distant as he had been absent. Aneko mused she may as well be walking alone, he was so withdrawn. Didn't he know he was the only person she truly wanted to be with?

"Can I ask you something," Aneko quietly said as they skirted around the edge of the pond. Chichiri nodded curtly. "Why haven't you been to see me since we got back? I tried looking for you, but I couldn't find you."

"I didn't want to see you." Aneko stopped dead in her tracks, stunned by his bluntness.

"Why?" she asked in a whisper. Chichiri stopped beside her, careful not to make eye contact. "I thought we... Was I wrong?"

"That shouldn't have happened, no da," Chichiri said. "You're Suzaku no Orakuru, and I'm a Suzaku warrior. I'm your protector, nothing more." Aneko's heart was breaking. "I'm sorry. I crossed the line. It won't happen again." Chichiri started walking again. Aneko was rooted to the spot feeling as if she'd been struck. She watched him disappear through a hedgerow, too stunned to even cry.

Aneko composed herself as she readied for dinner. She changed into a beautiful pink silk dress with a long blue robe over. Both items had been brought back from Mt. Daikyoku. Though they weren't fit for a state dinner, they were fitting enough for this occasion.

It was silent in the dining room when she arrived. Chichiri did not look up from his place setting as she entered the dining room. Tasuki looked extremely bored, and barely noticed Aneko's presence. The Empress had not yet arrived.

"Where's Empress Houki?" Aneko asked. Houki was nothing, if not punctual.

"She's not coming," Chichiri said once Aneko was seated. "There's some matter with the council that will keep her until late." Aneko nodded slowly.

"She told us to eat without her," Tasuki said, eagerly eyeing the exquisite dishes servants were carrying out from the kitchens. "They wouldn't let me eat 'til you got here." Aneko sat down in the nearest chair and several servants entered and began to serve their meal. As a group they were unusually quiet. Tasuki even chewed quietly, sensing the dissention in the room. No one else seemed remotely interested in what was on their plate.

"I'm finished, no da," Chichiri said, rising from his seat mid-meal. "I'm going to bed." With that, he walked around the table and out the door. Aneko and Tasuki stared after him.

"What's wrong with him?" Tasuki demanded. "They haven't served dessert yet."

"Whatever it is, I hope he's miserable," Aneko said bitterly.

"What's your problem?" Tasuki snapped irritably.

"Oh, Tasuki," Aneko broke down into tears, unable to stop herself. "Why did he say that? Why?" Tasuki stared at her for a moment, then got up and followed after Chichiri, leaving Aneko crying over her plate at the table.

"If you don't tell me what's going on, I'll fry you," Tasuki demanded, tessen ready, stalking toward Chichiri. The monk was sitting on the floor in his room meditating.

"Nothing, no da," Chichiri responded solemnly.

"Lekka Shienn!" Tasuki singed his friend's shoes. "You wanna tell me the truth this time?" Chichiri stared at him in shock. "Aneko's crying her eyes out because a you. Now what did you say ta her?"

"I made it easy for her, no da," Chichiri said, knowing full well he was in trouble if he didn't tell Tasuki the truth. "She loves him. I told her I didn't love her so she could go back to him without having to worry about me, no da." Tasuki stared at him in complete and utter confusion.

"Loves who?" he demanded.

"Danno. Seiryu no Orakuru, no da," Chichiri replied, hanging his head.

"You think she loves that bastard?" Tasuki wasn't sure if he should be shocked or outraged. "Is there somethin' wrong with your head?" Chichiri shook his head.

"She's a good person. She keeps her word. She promised to marry him." Chichiri hung his head, as if ashamed. "I kissed her, no da." If that was supposed to be some kind of shocking revelation, Chichiri had failed miserably. "I did to them what Hikou did to me, no da."

"What the hell're you thinkin'?" Tasuki fumed. "This ain't nothin' like that!" He grabbed Chichiri's shirt front and hauled him up on his toes, forcing the monk to look him in the eye. "Danno hit her," Tasuki growled. "He didn't have any right."

"No, he didn't," Chichiri agreed. He sighed. "You heard what he said. It's my fault she's confused. I knew she still loved him. I could never be anything more than a replacement to her, but I thought maybe... Even when she thought he was dead, she wanted him with her, not me. I was a fool, no da." Tasuki had heard enough. He raised his Tessen again and this time he didn't go easy on Chichiri. He let the idiot monk have it. "Hey, what was that for, no da?" Chichiri asked, his blackened hair smoking from the ends.

"What would Miaka say if she heard ya talkin' like that?" Tasuki demanded. "I think she'd say you need a good dose of reality, that's what she'd say," Tasuki informed him, raising the Tessen again. "Lekkaaa Shiennn!"

To be continued…


	18. Part Eighteen: Mizu Kagami

Disclaimer:

FY is not mine. Oracles of the Four Gods is. Deal with it. I have.

Warnings:

Overall rating of PG-13. This one is tame.

Notes:

My transitions are done. I've got it all in order. Now I just have editing to do. Lots and lots of editing. There are about forty chapters left for me to post. They'll go up quickly once I've finished that rotten editing. Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Eighteen Mizu Kagami

After hours of searching, Chichiri found Aneko sitting on a stone bench in the quiet still of the palace's park. The waning quarter moon was up, shimmering on the brook that ran past the temple among the trees. Aneko sat staring at the rippling, silvery water, and didn't notice him approach. Chichiri stood back watching the illuminated profile of her face. He wasn't sure what this would accomplish but Tasuki had- _talked_ him into it.

"Aneko," she jumped at the sound of her name, but didn't turn around. "I'm sorry," he said. She remained silent. "I shouldn't have said what I did earlier, no da," he tried again. She kept her back rigid, refusing to look at him. "Say something please, no da," Chichiri asked.

"What should I say?" Aneko said in a strange, detached sort of voice. "I don't even want to talk about it. When I go home to Tokyo, I won't see you anymore. It's better this way."

"No," Chichiri said, stepping around the bench and standing in front of her. "I shouldn't have said what I did, no da."

"Then why did you?" Aneko asked.

"I-," Chichiri paused, searching for words. "I thought I was making things easier."

"Easier? How could that be easy? I thought we were starting to care for each other." Chichiri felt the flush of shame creep up to his cheeks for his fickle behavior. "If you still want to make things easier, you can just leave." She turned around on the bench showing her back to him. "You said it was a mistake at the lake."

"I don't know what to think, no da," Chichiri admitted. "I said that but, I- I don't know how I really feel." Taking hold of her arms, he spun her around on the smooth marble bench to face him again. "I have to tell you something." He knelt in front of her, resting a hand on her knee. Aneko couldn't avoid looking at him now. "I never expected you, no da. With you, I felt something I haven't felt in a long time. I never thought I would feel it again." Aneko seemed somewhat curious, though she remained silent. "A long time ago, almost ten years, I was engaged to be married, no da."

"I thought you've always been a monk," Aneko said, surprised. Then she closed her mouth and held it shut in a tight line. Chichiri shook his head.

"Her name was Tenmei, and I loved her very much. I was eighteen, then." Chichiri proceeded to lay his heart bare before her, telling of how his own best friend betrayed him and how he, in turn, betrayed both his best friend and his fiancé. "Learning to forgive myself was the hardest lesson I ever had to learn," Chichiri confessed, remembering. "I haven't loved anyone since her. I still do love her. Loving someone else...I don't know if I can, no da."

"If you care for me, even a little," Aneko asked, "why- why did you say-"

"Because of Danno, no da," he told her. "You're- to him you're still _his_ fiancé." Chichiri looked at her solemnly. "And because of you. I believe you're still in love with him."

"No," she denied. "I'm not in love with him. I never was. I care about him, yes, but I do not love him in that way." She reached out and lightly caressed Chichiri's unmasked face. Her gentle touch made him look away. "I tried to love him once, but I couldn't."

"In your sleep, you said his name, no da, the first night I brought you to the palace."

"I'm not in love with Danno," Aneko said adamantly. "Chichiri, I'm in love with you." Chichiri looked up, stunned, as Aneko slid from her bench and into his arms. He held her close as her tears wet the front of his shirt. He had no idea what to say. Oddly, he didn't even know how he felt about her admission. Relief, confusion, disbelief, joy…and guilt. She must have sensed his wavering emotions because she pulled away and looked up. "What's wrong?"

"Aneko, I…" he trailed off and looked away. "You're still engaged to Danno."

"I'm not," Aneko countered. "I told him the truth. I told him I don't love him."

"But did you tell him you wouldn't marry him? Did you say you were breaking the engagement?" Chichiri asked. He hated himself for asking the moment he saw the hurt in her eyes, but he had to know.

"The day he died was the day our engagement ended," she said. Chichiri had heard enough. She hadn't broken the engagement. He rose slowly, pulling Aneko with him, and settled her back on the stone bench before taking a step away. "Chichiri?" she asked, uncertainly.

"Danno's still alive, no da," Chichiri said. Aneko stared at him, stunned. "You are engaged to another man. What I think or feel means nothing where you're concerned." Chichiri turned to walk away. Aneko suddenly stood and clasped onto his arm. "Don't, Aneko," he said, trying to pull away.

"Don't leave me," Aneko pleaded. "Please, listen to me. Don't go, Chichiri." Chichiri stopped, and looked at her uncertainly. "He died, I swear it. In my world, he's dead." Chichiri couldn't stave off a weary sigh.

"I believe you, Aneko," he said slowly. "I never said I didn't, no da." Aneko loosened her grip on his arm, her eyes misting with gathering tears.

"I don't love him," Aneko continued. "I love you." She reached up and brushed a kiss on his lips. Chichiri allowed it, in fact savored every brief moment of it.

"This is still wrong," Chichiri said once she pulled away. She looked down at the ground to avoid looking at him. "Danno is alive, and you are still his fiancé." He took her left hand and held it up in the silvery moonlight. On her third finger glinted a small diamond in the pale light. "Miaka had a ring, too. She and Tamahome." Aneko stared at her hand, her face translucent in the moon's light.

"I'm not going to marry him," Aneko said with a shaky whisper. She looked up at Chichiri. "I don't love him."

"Don't ask me to do this, no da," Chichiri said with a shake of his head, still holding up her hand. "Don't ask me to do the very thing Hikou once did to me. I can't. I just can't." Aneko swallowed hard.

"Then I won't," Aneko said slowly. "What are we going to do?" she asked.

"What are _you_ going to do?" Chichiri countered, dropping her hand. Aneko stared, then nodded curtly before turning and leaving. Chichiri watched as she disappeared into the gardens. He slowly turned to the pond, bewildered. What had he just done? Had he intended to chase her away like that? His reflection caught his eye. It was clear on the still surface, lit by the silver glow of the moon. Sitting there, on the bank, he was alone, just as he had been alone since- "Tenmei…"

The sound of her name drifted off in the evening air into the silence of the night. Chichiri looked at his reflection once more and saw the loneliness of his expression reflected back at him. Tenmei had been gone ten years, and it still hurt. He could see it in the water's reflection. Aneko had been gone less than ten minutes, and it hurt far, far more. What had he just done?

"There you are!" Tasuki shouted the moment he spotted Aneko. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"I was out," she replied as he ran toward her. "Did something happen?"

"No one could find you this morning," Tasuki explained. "Chichiri's missing, too, 'an I got worried."

"I couldn't sleep. I had to think. I was in the shrine most of the night," Aneko told him.

"Alone?" Tasuki was surprised when she nodded affirmatively. "I thought Chichiri was goin' ta talk to you. I figured he'd be with you."

"We talked," Aneko responded. Her eyes were cast to the ground and she suddenly seemed very sad. Tasuki reached out and touched her shoulder. "It's okay," she said. "He told me about Tenmei-"

"He did?" Tasuki interrupted, shocked. The monk never talked about _her_.

"Yes," Aneko replied. "And about Hikou." Tasuki frowned. What did he have to do with anything? "I think I understand," she said.

"Understand what?" Tasuki demanded, confused.

"What Suzaku said," Aneko responded, "about hiding from yourself. I don't think Suzaku meant it for me alone. I think he was speaking to Chichiri, too. And maybe even you." Tasuki suddenly thought of Li Mei, and wondered if Aneko was right about that. Tasuki heaved a big sigh. Suddenly she turned a bright smile toward him, and Tasuki stared at her in disbelief.

"I should probably see the Empress," Aneko said. "She's been so busy the last few days." She flashed him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, then turned and walked away. Tasuki watched her in bafflement. Was she just going to leave things at that? What about the problems between her and Chichiri? Wasn't she going to do anything about them? And what about what she had said to him? Was he really hiding from himself, too?

The Empress sat in a small chamber surrounded by dozens of very old scrolls. The Empress was scribbling away on much newer scroll when the Orakuru gently knocked and let herself in. Houki looked up as Aneko slid the door shut.

"There you are. I was worried about you." Houki put down her writing implement and sat back in her chair. Aneko walked across the small space to stand beside the table.

"I'm all right," Aneko said. "I was in the shrine thinking."

"All night?" Aneko nodded. "What were you thinking about?"

"Everything," Suzaku no Orakuru replied vaguely. She shook her head then looked up with a smile. "I came to see if there was anything I could help you with today. I need a distraction, I think." There was something bothering her, Houki realized. If she had to venture a guess, she would say it had to do with Chichiri. Aneko, however, did not seem in the mood to share her troubles, so Houki simply gave her a bright smile.

"Yes, I believe a distraction is exactly what you need," she agreed amiably. Aneko glanced at the table, her gaze noting the stacks of scrolls piled upon it.

"What are all of those?" she asked. "Is it for a council meeting?"

"I do have other duties besides sitting at council," Houki laughed. "Cataloging these, for instance." The sweeping gesture she made toward the pile betrayed her frustration.

"I don't mean any disrespect," Aneko said, "but don't you have people to do that kind of thing for you?"

"Yes," Houki laughed. "However, these are special."

"What are they? They look very old."

"They are old," Houki confirmed. "No one knows how old. The very origin of these scrolls is unknown. Konnan's brightest scholars have been unable to decipher them. They are written in a language unknown to us. Yet, they have been well preserved for centuries, which leads one to believe they are of some importance. It is for that reason they are kept by the emperor and the emperor alone. Seeing as my son is too young, their care is left to me. I am sad to say my husband was not very particular about categorizing and cataloging them."

"Do you mind if I look at one?" Aneko asked curiously as the Empress rose from her seat and began to neatly arrange them on the table. "I'll understand if you say no."

"I do not mind at all. I see no harm in allowing Suzaku no Orakuru a look." Aneko reached at random for a scroll at the top of the pile. Houki watched as she carefully, with nimble fingers, began to unfurl the rolled parchment. Aneko froze, her mouth agape. "What? What is it?" Houki asked immediately.

"It's Kanji," Aneko breathed in disbelief. "Odd, it's written right to left, but blocked as if written left to right down the page."

"You can decipher it?" The Empress' eyes danced in expectant excitement.

"I can read it," Aneko confirmed. "It's entitled, 'On Tai Ju, the Emperor of Konan.' " Their gazes locked, Aneko's expressive eyes conveying her curiosity.

"Tai Ju was the first Emperor of my husband's Dynasty. He lived hundreds of years ago," Houki informed her. This seemed to excite Aneko. She herself was already giddy with this miraculous revelation. "What does the scroll reveal of him?" Aneko began to read aloud.

" 'His Highness is restless. Nearly ten years have passed since the advent of Suzaku no Miko, who's wish gave Tai Ju the throne of Konan. A wise wish. Konan is at peace under the rule of Tai Ju, and Konan is prospering. Despite this, in his heart, I believe the Emperor is unhappy, restless. Possibly, he longs for the excitement and adventure of the days of Suzaku no Miko. He does not long for the war of those days, or the danger he and his people faced, he is too gentle a spirit. I can see it in his eyes when he speaks of her, he was in love with Suzaku no Miko.

" 'His love for her was forbidden. To be granted her wishes and save Konan, she had to summon Suzaku, and to summon Suzaku, she had to be pure. When the summoning was completed, she would return to her own world, and leave Tai Ju behind. And so it came to pass.' " Aneko lowered the scroll. "This priestess can't possibly be Miaka."

"So there have been other Mikos," Empress Houki surmised. "This Suzaku no Miko appeared over five hundred years ago." The two women looked at each other, reading each other's thoughts. "Suzaku no Miko could not have written this." Aneko nodded in agreement. "If not she, then who?"

"I don't know." Aneko was thoughtful a moment. "There might be a scroll about the author." The Empress nodded. That would be an invaluable discovery. While Aneko opened scroll after scroll, reading the title, she would glance periodically at scrolls the Empress held up for her, reading a few lines before going back to her own. Nearing the bottom of the pile, Aneko stopped, stunned. "What do you read?" Empress Houki wanted to know. "Have you found something? What does it say?" Aneko swallowed.

" 'How I came to be in Knonankoku. My name is Tamagawa Marise. I am Suzaku no Orakuru.' "

To be continued…

End Notes: So, there you have it. Interesting scroll, no? Sapphire


	19. Part Nineteen: Marise

Disclaimer: I'm feeling a little nostalgic. I liked a poem I wrote for a disclaimer once. It was:

Fushigi Yugi

Doesn't belong to me.

Please don't sue me,

Leave this poor student be.

Warnings: Tame chapter. PG-13 overall rating.

Notes: Let's see. I last posted in…October of '05! OO

Oh, I'm so sorry to leave you all hanging there like that. I have not ignored you on purpose. I have not abandoned this project. In fact, I have some major updates to tell you. I HAVE FINALLY COMPLETED THE MANUSCRIPT! Excuse me, you say? Well, I've finally got a completed draft of "The Oracles of the Four Gods" written in it's entirety. Notice I said DRAFT. That means that I'm not finished-finished, but I do have the story written and ready for my final editing. This is a HUGE accomplishment.

Notes To be continued next chapter…Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Nineteen Marise

"Tamagawa Marise," Aneko repeated. Suddenly a deluge of images filled her head. She dropped the scroll she held and her hands flew up to hold her head between them. It was dizzying, the spiraling whirl of images, thoughts, words, feelings, and memories.

"Aneko!" Aneko could barely register Houki's presence amid all the confusion flooding her mind. Faces. So many faces. Faces she recognized, faces she could name, but she could not remember meeting them ever in her lifetime. Their eyes, all those emerald and sapphire eyes were staring at her, expectant. What they expected she didn't know, but whatever it was, she was supposed to do it.

"Stop!" Aneko cried. "Stop, please Suzaku, make it stop!" The whirling maelstrom slowed, and suddenly she felt a familiar presence. The beast god had heard her plea. She felt herself sink down, and the Empress's caring hands catch her and guide her to sit on the floor. The mess in her head cleared, and a single memory became prevalent. Houki's comforting, calming presence remained at her side, and Aneko was grateful.

_"What's happening?" she exclaimed as she felt herself pulled into the light itself._

"_Do not fear, Lady," a warm, golden, melodic voice answered. She looked around frantically, but all around was the red light, and the impression of movement._

"_Who are you? Where are you?" Aneko was frightened. Everything was suddenly alien to her. Nothing was as it should be. And yet…_

"_I am all around you," the voice gently told her. "I am taking you back. You are needed once again, my Orakuru."_

"_Orakuru?" Aneko whispered softly. "Yes," she said, surprised at how appropriate the word was, "Orakuru." She relaxed, allowing herself to bask in the warmth surrounding her. "Suzaku," she said, realizing she knew that voice. "Suzaku?"_

"_My Orakuru, you have something to say?"_

"_Only that my name now is Mitsu Aneko."_

"_Thank-you, Lady Aneko." She found she could loose herself in that voice forever. Odd, but that did not frighten her. "We are here. I will leave you now."_

"_Suzaku, I'm afraid," Aneko said as she felt the warm presence leave her. "Please don't go."_

"_There is nothing to be frightened of," Suzaku, said. "You will not be alone for long." Aneko sighed in relief. "I will be watching over you." The last of the warmth disappeared, and then there was nothing._

Aneko blinked rapidly as the images faded. They did not leave her, but shifted to the back of her mind until they were needed. Two words remained, echoing in her conscious mind. Marise. Minoru. She looked to the Empress for some kind of support. Houki was pale, afraid, unsure what was happening. All she could offer was the hand Aneko already clutched tightly.

"Are you alright?" the Empress asked in a high, fearful voice. Aneko took a moment to form a response, calming herself in the process.

"I'm shaken, but I'll be fine," Aneko said. She mustered a smile for her friend's benefit. Houki had not ever witnessed Aneko during one of her visions before. She understood how strange it must seem to the Empress. "I finally remember."

"What have you remembered?" Houki asked, finding her normal voice as Aneko's usual demeanor returned.

"My advent into this world." Houki looked at her with surprise. "I was scared, but Suzaku was with me. When he called me Orakuru, everything suddenly felt right. In that moment I remembered- I remembered having made that journey before. I knew I was where I needed to be. And the next thing I remember is waking up in the woods."

"Do you think it is now time to discover your purpose?" the Empress' eyes lit up. "Perhaps Suzaku was waiting for that memory to return."

"It's so much more than that," Aneko said. "There were other memories, other feelings, all long forgotten from ages past. Houki, I think I remember all my past incarnations. I can remember when this very palace was under it's original construction."

"But that must have been-"

"Five hundred years ago," Aneko finished. "When I was Tamagawa Marise. When I wrote those scrolls." Aneko carefully got to her feet. The Empress remained seated on the floor, staring up at her in awe.

"Then, do you know your purpose?" Houki asked. Aneko stopped short and stared at Houki. Did she know?

"I don't want to recall that memory, yet," she said slowly. "I do remember, however, that the answer is in that scroll." She bent and picked up the scroll she'd been holding when her memories had been triggered. "May I take this?" she asked. Houki nodded, getting to her feet.

"Will you read it?" the Empress asked.

"Not now," Aneko said. "The future holds a more opportune time to read it's contents." If the Empress was curious about her reply, she didn't say so. Aneko tucked the scroll under her arm. "I have things to think about." Her mind was already far away, remembering a dream she had experience many times, a dream where she had been Marise and Marise had been with Minoru. "I have to go."

"Of course," Houki agreed reluctantly. Then, more tentatively, she asked, "Aneko?" The Empress did not usually present herself as anything but regal, calm, and collected. Aneko guessed, judging by Houki's uncharacteristic uncertainty, that this strange episode had frightened her out of her wits. Unlike Tasuki and Chichiri, she wasn't used to all the strange things that happened to a god's chosen.

"Yes?" Aneko prompted, giving the empress a dazzling, reassuring smile. The Empress relaxed, relieved that there was nothing seriously wrong.

"Will you be all right?"

"I'll be fine," Aneko assured. "No matter what I come up against, in any of my incarnations, I always come out on the other side." Houki smiled, and Aneko took her leave.

/_Lady Aneko_./ She was startled by the voice intruding upon her thoughts. /_My Orakuru_./ The voice echoed in her head, louder this time. /_Come to me, Lady Aneko_./ Suzaku. There was no choice but to go. Aneko slipped out of her room, pulling her pale yellow, silk sleeping robe tightly about her, and headed for the shrine.

The doors were nearly too heavy for her to open on her own. Rather than struggle with their immense weight, she used a little of Nuriko's strength to push them open. Once inside, she closed them behind her. Inside it was dark, except for the glow of the sacrificial fire. She wondered who had lit it. Behind the sacrificial fire was the beautiful golden statue of the Phoenix God. The rubies in the statue's eyes shone with more life than rubies had the right to possess.

"Do you know why I have called you here?" Suzaku asked.

"I do," Aneko replied. "My destiny." Suzaku, his spirit possessing the golden statue, nodded. "Please, I don't want to know just yet. I'll know soon enough."

"Very well," Suzaku conceded graciously. "I will not tell you, however, I must instruct you to return to Mt. Daikyouku. Alone. There is very little time left."

"The alignment?" Aneko ventured.

"Yes," Suzaku answered. "You must arrive on the mountain before the alignment." Aneko had suspected as much. "Before you go, I must impress upon you the importance of what you will do for me." Aneko nodded. "Seiryu no Miko sealed me away, as you know. She did not know the consequences of her actions."

"Consequences?"

"Seiryu no Miko did not realize how her actions would affect you."

"Me?" Aneko was at a complete loss. She didn't see what that had to do with anything.

"Promise me, my Orakuru, promise me you will not fail. Promise you will not let anything interfere in your destined purpose." Aneko stared at the ruby eyes with a growing sense of fear. What was he really asking of her?

"I swear, I will not fail you, Suzaku." The god seemed to smile on her, then retreated from the shrine, leaving her in the faint glow of the sacrificial fire's embers. She had much to do before morning.

"You are leaving, then," Empress Houki said.

"I have to go to Mt. Daikyouku. If I don't leave now, I won't make it before the alignment."

"You will take Chichiri and Tasuki with you, I presume-"

"No," Aneko interrupted, surprising the Empress. The two Seishi always accompanied her where ever she went. "They'll be staying here with you. Suzaku said to go alone."

"I do not understand," Houki said. "Tasuki and Chichiri have been with you since you arrived here. Why will you go alone now? Why would Suzaku leave you so unprotected?"

"They aren't needed," Aneko said. "And somehow, I feel they aren't welcome. My purpose, my destiny is a shared one. I share it with the other oracles. It doesn't concern the Seishi. Besides, I'm not unprotected. I have a formidable power of my own." Aneko did have a point, and Houki conceded.

"You seem so sure of everything," Houki noted.

"I'm not," she admitted, suddenly allowing her worry to show. "I'm afraid of what's coming." Houki knew telling Aneko that everything would be okay was not going to help. The truth was, Houki had no idea what was in store for the young woman.

"You will do fine," Houki encouraged her friend in the best way she knew. "You are stronger than when you first arrived here. You are strong enough to endure anything the gods ask of you. If you were not, they would not have chosen you." Aneko suddenly hugged her.

"I needed to hear that," she said. "I promise, when I get back, I'll tell you everything."

"Of course," Houki agreed.

"I have a feeling I'll need someone to talk to." Houki wondered again what was truly worrying her friend, but did not ask.

"Go then. I will be here when you return," Houki said. Aneko hugged her again and continued making her preparations to leave.

To be continued…

End Notes: Finally, we're getting close to a major revelation in the plot. Things are about to take a mighty turn in the next few chapters. Enjoy! Sapphire


	20. Part Twenty: Return to Mt Daikyouku

Disclaimer: I'm still nostalgic. I had another poem, too. It was:

Fushigi Yugi

Belongs to Yu Watase

And a corporate posse.

Warnings: Tame again. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: continued… I have most of my major rewrites done. This does not concern anything I've already posted, so nothing you know about my little version of the Universe of the Four Gods has been altered. What I have left to do is a complete re-read of "Oracles" in it's entirety. I've got to figure out where continuity and pacing are problematic, and I've got to make sure I'm resolving all the situations that arise throughout the story.

Notes To be continued next chapter…Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Twenty Return to Mt. Daikyouku

Aneko left quietly later that morning. She had decided to go without seeing either Tasuki or Chichiri. She was certain either or both of them would try and convince her to bring them along. It was a rather cowardly thing to do, she realized, but she didn't feel capable of refusing them right then. The fear she'd felt when making her promise to Suzaku had been growing. Now she was terrified out of her wits of what lay ahead of her at the top of Mt. Daikyouku. She would rather have the seishi with her, she would rather not go to Mt. Daikyouku, but she had promised Suzaku that she would not fail, nor lose sight of her destined purpose. She was determined to keep that promise, and this was the only way she felt she could do that. On her borrowed horse, she turned to glance back at the palace gates a last time before turning toward the mountain where Taiitsukun dwelled.

"You wanted to see me, Taiitsukun?"

"Ah, Kaori, there you are. Yes, I did."

"What is it?" Kaori took a seat on an overly large cushion on the floor of Taiitsukun's mirror chamber. In the largest mirror she could see a moving image of a horse and rider. It was rather a lot like watching TV, she decided, without the cuts and separated scenes. "Wait…" she paused, getting a better look at the human figure upon the horse, "Is that Suzaku no Orakuru?"

"Yes, that is Aneko." Taiitsukun was watching the mirror closely. "Feather Head finally sent her. It's about time."

"She's coming?"

"She will barely make it in time," Taiitsukun's irritation was obvious.

"Would you like me to go get her?" Kaori offered. She suspected that was the real reason Taiitsukun had asked her to come.

"Bring her straight here, Kaori," Taiitsukun instructed. "I want her here in my mirror chamber as soon as she arrives on Mt. Daikyouku.

"No problem," Kaori said. "I can bring her here directly."

"Thank-you, Kaori. That will be all," Taiitsukun said. Kaori bowed, then quickly stood as a Kanji mark on her left cheek began to burn a bright white light.

"You look troubled," the Empress said when she stumbled upon Chichiri in the gardens. He looked up, not having noticed her at first, and stopped short.

"I can't find Aneko," he said. The Empress was startled. Hadn't Aneko told him?

"She is not here," Houki told him gently. "She left this morning." Chichiri looked at her incredulously.

"Left, no da? Where did she go?" Houki felt terribly sympathetic. And she was angry. Aneko should not have left before telling the seishi where she had gone. She should not have left the task for her to do, and certainly not without asking.

"Suzaku has sent her to Mt. Daikyouku," Houki explained. "It is my understanding she was told to go alone. I assumed she would have explained to you." Chichiri looked hurt, betrayed, and angry all at once. "Perhaps she could not find you before she left," Houki suggested. She wasn't at all convinced herself, and Chichiri could see it.

"When will she be back?" Chichiri finally asked.

"After the Alignment," Houki responded. Chichiri seemed somewhat deflated at this news. "She could not take you or Lord Tasuki. This business concerns the four oracles alone. She said the seishi were not a part of it, nor would they be welcome on the mountain."

"We could have gone with, to protect her along the way, no da," Chichiri argued. Houki gave him a sympathetic look.

"I voiced a similar concern before she left. She pointed out to me that she was not entirely without protection. I will point out the same to you," Houki reassured. "She does have abilities of her own." Chichiri only looked slightly less worried. "This is the reason she was brought to our world. This is inevitable, and you should have realized you would only be allowed so much." Even Chichiri had to admit she was right about that, she knew. "She will be back, Chichiri. Rest assured, she will be back."

Cresting a hill, Aneko could see someone up ahead, standing in the middle of the road. She slowed her mare to an easy walk. Drawing closer, Aneko saw it was a woman with long blonde hair that fell past her waist. She was alone. Wondering if she needed some kind of assistance, Aneko stopped beside her. Before she could say a word, the blonde woman turned her deep blue eyes upon her. They were the same deep blue as her own.

"I've been waiting for you, Suzaku no Orakuru," the woman said with a smile. Aneko's jaw dropped in shock.

"Waiting for me?" Aneko asked, "How do you know me?" The woman smiled, and gave a bow of greeting.

"My name is Takagi Kaori. I'm Byakko no Orakuru. I knew you would be here, Aneko. Taiitsukun sent me."

"Taiitsukun," Aneko breathed. "I'm going to Taiitsukun's mountain."

"I know," Kaori replied, "I was sent to fetch you. Everyone is waiting for you."

"Everyone?"

"Of course," Kaori said. "Taiitsukun, Wataru-"

"Wataru?" Aneko interrupted, "Who's he?"

"Sakurai Wataru, Genbu no Orakuru, the love of my life," Kaori supplied her eyes dancing in excitement. "Seiryu no Orakuru, Danno, should be there, too." She beamed at Aneko, and winked suggestively. "I'll bet you're excited to see him. I know he misses _you_."

"Danno?" Aneko felt herself pale. "I don't want to see Danno." Kaori did a double take.

"You don't?"

"No."

"But, why?" Kaori was confused.

"It's complicated," was all Aneko said. Kaori just stared at her as she remained silent. Aneko decided to change the subject. "You were sent to get me?"

"Um, yes," Kaori said, snapping out of her daze. "Yes I was." She looked up at Aneko. "Help me up onto your horse," Kaori said quickly. "It'll help if everything that needs to go is connected directly to me in some way." Aneko reached out her hand. Kaori took it, and pulled herself up to sit behind her on the horse.

"I'm guessing we're not taking the train?" Aneko asked in amused sarcasm.

"Nope," Kaori said. "This is much better. Stay still so I can concentrate," she instructed, "and we'll be there in a minute." Aneko did just that, holding onto the saddle for dear life. Kaori held her tight about the waist, and in a matter of seconds a white light had surrounded them and the horse. Aneko felt a strange pull in the pit of her stomach, and all at once the forest faded around them and the white light was all there was.

"Its about time you arrived," Taiitsukun grumbled as two women materialized in her mirror chamber on Mt. Daikyoku. "I was worried you never would."

"We didn't take that long," Kaori said in their defense. "And we had to stable the horse."

"That isn't what I meant," Taiitsukun barked. "I wasn't speaking to you." She turned to Aneko, not caring in the least if Kaori had taken offense to her rudeness. "You should have started your journey here long before you did." Taiitsukun barked accusingly.

"I came as soon as Suzaku sent me," Aneko defended.

"You knew before that," Taiitsukun pointed out. "You knew the moment your memories returned. You can't tell me you didn't feel the Mountain pulling you, calling you." She gave Aneko a glare that told her exactly how angry she was. "Now, come with me. Genbu no Orakuru and Seiryu no Orakuru are waiting for us in the next chamber."

"Danno?" Aneko froze. "Do I have to see him now?" Taiitsukun turned on her with another steely glare.

"Are you or are you not Suzaku no Orakuru?" the ancient one demanded.

"I- I am," Aneko stammered.

"Then behave like it," she barked. Taiitsukun turned to leave, and she gave a satisfied nod as both women followed, Aneko first.

"Don't worry," the ancient one heard Kaori whisper. "Whatever it is between the two of you, you can work out after this meeting."

To be continued…

End Notes: So, we are on the verge of finding out some major information. Sit tight. Another chapter coming at you. Sapphire


	21. Part Twentyone: Origins of the Oracles

Disclaimer: To the tune of "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze."

_He floats through the air_

Fushigi Yugi

_with the greatest of ease_

Is Yu Watase's

_The daring young man on the flying trapeze_

Along with a host of big companies

_His actions are graceful_

I'm humbly admiring

_All girls he does please_

I make nothing in fees

_And my heart he has stolen away._

Oh, don't make me stop writing this please.

Warnings: Danger. Entering adult situations territory. Also, Leikaku Bandits with foul language coming at you. Rated PG-13.

Notes: continued… When I'm done with all of that, and I've posted "Oracles" in it's entirety, I'll go back and re-upload every single chapter. I've made a lot of spelling, grammar, and clarification edits to my master copy. Those problems still exist in my posted chapters. I'll want to polish it up. It won't be necessary to re-read anything, unless you want to, of course.

Notes to be continued next chapter…Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Twenty-one Origins of the Oracles

Kaori slipped past Aneko and approached a young man with long, pale sepia hair. She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. He hugged her, kissing the top of her head, then looked up and made eye contact with Aneko, obviously evaluating her as Suzaku no Orakuru.

"Wataru, this is Aneko, Suzaku no Orakuru," Kaori introduced. "Aneko, this is Wataru." Aneko bowed in greeting.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Wataru said with polite respect.

"Thank-you," Aneko said. "I'm glad to meet you, as well." As she spoke, Aneko noticed someone hanging back in the shadow of the doorway. She could feel his eyes on her, and after a moment, he emerged into the light. It was Danno. He slowly walked toward the small group.

"Hello, Aneko," he said tentatively. He stopped several paces from where she stood.

"Hello," Aneko returned nervously. She didn't know what else to say. Certainly there was nothing she wanted to say that would be fitting before an audience.

"Sit," Taiitsukun said, interrupting the awkward moment. They did, each settling themselves on a stuffed cushion dyed or bleached the color representative of their god.

"Why are we all here?" Kaori asked.

"Because it's nearly time," Taiitsukun replied impatiently.

"Time for what?" Wataru wanted to know. Taiitsukun looked to his and Kaori's confused faces. Then she looked to Danno's depressed expression, and Aneko's pale, frightened one. She gave a big, exasperated sigh.

"I am going to tell you a story," she looked pointedly at each of the oracles in turn. "Do you realize that all of you have been the Orakuru of your respective gods since the beginning of time?" This did not come as news to any of those present. Aneko suspected they had been having dreams and memories of their past lives just as she had. "When the Four Gods created the world, they created four living oracles to be mediums between themselves and the people that populated the Universe of the Four Gods. Having been created in the forms of two women and two men, their greatest function was to maintain the balance of this universe, and act as messengers between the people and the gods. For a long time the people looked to the oracles for guidance from the Four Gods, and the Four Gods were pleased. However, as the populace grew, people began to think, act, and exist independently, as was their nature.

"Eventually this caused a great imbalance, like a rift, and an entity encompassing all that was evil was born of the dissention between people and gods. The oracles worked to restore balance, but were driven to the high mountain called Daikyoku and imprisoned by the evil. The Four Gods feared the collapse of the Universe they had created, but knew of a way to save it. It would come at the cost of sacrificing the four oracles. During the imprisonment, the Four Gods instructed the oracles to unify their power in the creation of two beings, one male and one female, representing the Yin and the Yang principles. Upon their birth, they would assume the responsibility that had been the oracles' since the world began, thus ensuring the world's continuance after the oracles were gone.

"Once Yin and Yang were born, the Four Gods established them in place of the oracles and sent the oracles to their fate. Now able to devote all their energy to combating this evil, the oracles were able to corner the entity on the top of a mountain in the south. There they trapped it, sealing it in the very rock of the mountain with an unbroken chain of power created by their own life energies, draining their bodies.

"The Four Gods knew this evil could be unleashed once again or be reborn anew. They took precautions. They placed the spirits of the four oracles in another world until they were needed again. There they would be born and reborn continually, always accessible to the Gods. This was necessary since maintaining balance meant that everything born must eventually die. The oracles would have to return every five hundred years to regenerate the Yin and Yang.

"I am one of those beings, and I represent the Yin. My counterpart is the Yang, but he rarely makes his presence obvious, unlike myself. We are complete opposites, you see. We balance each other out, just as we work to maintain the balance of this world." There was silence when she finished. Each of the oracles was deep in his or her own thoughts. To all of them the story had a certain ring of familiarity. It was only right that it should. They were those four oracles of the story, the reincarnated forms of them.

"What did you mean, unify our power?" Kaori wondered aloud after a long silence. Four pairs of eyes fixed themselves on Taiitsukun.

"You must join together, Genbu with Byakko, Seiryu with Suzaku. Your destiny is to bring forth the new Yin and Yang to replace myself and my counterpart."

"Join together?" Kaori cast a nervous, sideways glance at Wataru.

"When the stars of the Four Gods align, the Gods will be at their most powerful. Through the oracles, they will conceive an infant to replace myself, and an infant to replace my counterpart."

"You mean-" Danno glanced at Aneko who was starring at the floor, her cheeks a brilliant shade of pink. "You mean we have to…"

"You must join together, both in body _and_ spirit," Taiitsukun said, "after which Kaori and Aneko will be expected to carry the infants until birth. Let me remind you, they are no ordinary infants." Aneko finally looked up, letting her gaze connect only with Kaori. The look in her eyes fairly well matched what Aneko knew was in her own. Fear. "The infants belong to the gods, not to you." Kaori's eyes were now sad. Aneko's own emotions mirrored hers. To give up a baby she would carry in her own womb for nine months... "The infants' conception would not be possible were it not for the power of the Four Gods. The infants will be as much the offspring of the gods as they will be the offspring of the oracles. They must be given into the care of Nyan-Nyan the day they are born, and I'm afraid the four of you will never see them in this life again."

"Kouji?" The second in command pushed the flap of his tent open. Tohru stood just outside, peering in at him.

"What do ya want?" Kouji asked tiredly. Tohru stepped inside, carrying a roll of parchment in his hand.

"Jiro just finished," Tohru said. "I brought the drawings fer ya ta look at."

"I don't fuckin' care about those damn drawings," Kouji nearly shouted. Tohru didn't seem perturbed in the least at his growling. "I got more fuckin' important things ta worry about right now."

"Damnit, Kouji," Tohru said. "You gotta do this some time." Kouji sat back in his salvaged chair and glared. "We gotta start buildin' now," Tohru reminded. "We got the supplies fer the new stronghold." Kouji sighed.

"I've been thinkin' 'bout that," Kouji said. "I know winter's comin' soon." Tohru gave him a satisfied nod. Leave it to Tohru to get his mind back on track. He glanced critically at the plans in front of him. Jiro was one hell of an architect, Kouji thought. "There ain't no way we can get that built before it snows."

"If we don't, where the hell are we gonna live?" Tohru demanded.

"The place is too big," Kouji said. "With that damned devil-woman, there ain't no way we can loosen up security." Tohru nodded in concession. "We don't have enough men ta spare. Only a couple can work on the thing." Again Tohru nodded in agreement.

"So what do we fuckin' do?" Tohru asked. Kouji thought a moment, wondering if he should voice the ideas that had been flitting through his head or not. He figured he didn't have much to lose.

"We build the barn. We could build a kitchen on the back, the men can sleep in the big room, an' Genrou an' me can have the loft." Kouji waited to hear Tohru's reaction.

"An' the animals?" he asked.

"We could divide the barn in half," Kouji said, "half for us an' half fer the horses. We'll build it bigger 'n we need for the animals ta make room fer us. It'll still be cramped, but we can manage." Tohru slowly nodded. "We'll build a real stronghold next summer, an' open our half a the barn up ta the animals."

"That's a good plan," he finally agreed. "So long as ya make my kitchen big enough." Kouji actually laughed.

"It'll be big enough," he said with a half laugh. "Have Jiro draw up a plan fer the new barn." Tohru nodded and hurried off. Kouji returned to his worries with a sober frown.

To be continued…

End Notes: How was that for a revelation? How am I doing? Reviews welcome. Sapphire


	22. Part Twentytwo: Facing Destiny

Disclaimer: I'm getting quite musical here. To the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."

Yu, Yu, Wa-tase

Fushigi Yugi

Oracles of the Four Gods

I dedicate to thee!

Warnings: This is adult situation territory again. Rated PG-13.

Notes: continued… All that being said, I thank any of you out there who are still taking the time to read my work. I do appreciate the time you spend exploring my world. To reward your unwavering dedication (at least I'm assuming it's unwavering if you're still with me) I've decided to post five chapters. Yup, five. I hope I've made your waiting worth it. Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Twenty-two Facing Destiny

Aneko was in a state of shock. Even two days after that meeting, the frightening truth was with her. From the beginning she had assumed her destiny was some kind of task to complete, like that of the Mikos. To find that it was something like this…she had not been prepared to hear it. Her destiny was asking two very difficult things of her. First, she was being asked to give herself willingly to Seiryu no Orakuru, to Danno. How could she when she was in love with someone else? And then, on top of that, to carry a child she could never keep? A child that was partly Danno's? Everything around her would cease to exist if she did not do her duty and fulfill her destiny. She was trapped without much of a choice.

Staying in her room only made her feel more trapped. To escape, she often made her way outside the palace to a grassy spot under a tree near a brook. It was serene there, the pastel colored bubbles floating about the air making her feel like she was far away from reality, and it had a claming effect on her. Leaning against the tree, Aneko watched as some rather large trout swam by beneath the water's surface.

"So this is where you disappear to," Aneko was startled by the gruffness in Danno's voice. "I hoped you wouldn't avoid me, but you've been doing a good job of it." Aneko refused to look up at him. She wasn't in a stable enough state of mind to face him just yet.

"I don't want to see you," she said. "Unlike you, I'm not looking forward to the alignment."

"You're wrong," Danno responded. Aneko looked up, surprised to hear so much hurt in his voice. "I love you, and I've wanted this a long time, but it won't be the same because you don't love me anymore."

"I'm sorry, Danno," Aneko said honestly. "I really wish things had been different. I wish I had been honest with myself, and especially with you, right from the beginning."

"It's not your fault," Danno said. "I know that."

"This _is_ my fault," Aneko countered. "I gave you every reason to believe in me, when I knew deep in my heart it was all a lie."

"No, you loved me once. I know you did. _He_ didn't have any right to-"

"This isn't about Chichiri," Aneko cut him off.

"He made you think you'd lost me," Danno countered. "He made you love him instead. He stole you from me." Aneko's eyes flashed with anger.

"No, Danno. Chichiri didn't do anything like that. But you are right about one thing. I did love you once; a long time ago when I existed as someone else." Danno stared at her in confusion. "The Priestesses of Seiryu and Suzaku made mistakes." Gazing sadly at Danno, Aneko suddenly realized what Suzaku had meant when he'd sent her to Mt. Daikyouku. "That ancient bond we had, it was broken the moment Seiryu no Miko sealed Suzaku away. What's worse, If she hadn't, Suzaku no Miko would have caused it the moment she sealed Seiryu away. They didn't know, they didn't realize, that act severed the bond we shared in past incarnations. I don't love you, Danno, I never loved you that way, and I never will in this lifetime. The fact that I have those feelings for someone else is irrelevant," Aneko said. "You needn't worry, though. I'll do this. I won't fail Suzaku. I won't."

"I don't want your body without your heart," Danno told her. Aneko was a little surprised, but she could hardly blame him for feeling as he did.

"That is the one thing I can never give you," Aneko told him. Danno looked away for a moment, then back to her.

"I love you," Danno said, kneeling down next to her. He gently lifted her hand in his. "Give me another chance. I want to do everything the right way with you. This- the alignment- it won't be right unless you're my wife. You promised to marry me once. You said you loved me. So marry me and make all of this right." She was speechless. "Did _he_ ever offer you that?"

"No," Aneko responded, a tear falling down her cheek. Danno brushed the tear away with a soft caress. "He's never even said he loves me."

"Then maybe he doesn't feel the way I do about you," Danno said.

"He never said as much, but I know he loves me," Aneko said with conviction.

"Will he feel the same when you return to Konan?" Danno inquired. Aneko froze. She hadn't considered that. What _would_ Chichiri think when she returned to Konan as an expectant mother? Will he feel this was a double betrayal? Would he understand? In time? Ever?

"I still won't love you," Aneko realized. "No matter what he thinks, I still won't love you." Danno dropped her hand from his and stood, turning his back to her. He was silent a long time.

"I'll be waiting for you in my chamber. If you intend to go through with this, as you say, then you will come to me," he said. "I've done everything I can." Then her turned and left.

"Aneko!" Taiitsukun's bellow startled the young woman right out of her chair. Taiitsukun was satisfied she'd managed to give her a good upset.

"T-Taiitsukun!" Aneko gasped, scrambling to right herself, and her chair. "What have I done now?" At least she understood she was in trouble.

"It's not what you've done, it's what I'm afraid you won't do," Taiitsukun corrected.

"I'm confused," Aneko admitted. "If this is about the alignment, why would you think I'd refuse my duty? I promised Suzaku I'd carry out my duties. I don't plan on failing."

"I know that," Taiitsukun said, "You don't plan to fail, but you might." Aneko did not sit down. She was too scared to do so, and that made Taiitsukun pleased. Maybe the severity of the situation would be impressed upon the young woman, and she would be too frightened to do anything other than what she was told. "I have recently spoken to Danno." Aneko cast her gaze immediately to the floor upon mention of Seiryu no Orakuru. "He was in a foul temper, and you are apparently to blame."

"Most likely," Aneko agreed meekly.

"It seems we have a situation on our hands," Taiitsukun informed Aneko. "Danno is refusing to participate in the Alignment unless you relent and go to him." Aneko hung her head. "He was giving me some silly nonsense about you being in love with one of the Suzaku Celestial Warriors." She narrowed a piercing gaze on the Orakuru before her. Aneko seemed to shrink beneath it. "So it's true, then. You are in love with Chichiri." Aneko gave the slightest nod. "This will not do. You will have to lay aside your feelings for him forever. You belong to Suzaku, and to Seiryu no Orakuru-"

"No," Aneko interrupted. "I'm no longer bound to Seiryu no Orakuru. Seiryu no Miko sealed Suzaku away, and those ties were cut forever." Taiitsukun stared in astonishment.

"Says who?"

"Suzaku. Sort of." The last was hastily tacked on.

"Sort of?" Taiitsukun was irritated.

"Suzaku must know how I feel in my heart. He didn't tell me I couldn't love Chichiri. He only made me promise not to let anything interfere with my destiny. I know that means my feelings for Chichiri, and my anger at Danno."

"See that you keep that promise," Taiitsukun said. "And let me tell you, it will be harder than you think. You must join with Seiryu no Orakuru in both body and _spirit_. That means laying aside your feelings for Chichiri and finding a way of emotionally and spiritually connecting with Danno." All color drained form Aneko's face. "Since Danno insists he has tried everything to make this easy for you, this will be your responsibility."

To be continued…

End Notes: Are things getting complicated enough for you? Review please. I'd like to know your thoughts. Sapphire


	23. Part Twentythree: The Gods Align

Disclaimer: I don't have any rights to _Fushigi Yugi_. Just borrowing it a bit. (Sorry, no musical number this time.)

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Warnings: Still adult situation territory. Nothing graphic. There won't be, but the nature of the situation calls for a certain level of maturity. Rated PG-13.

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Notes: Ah, let's talk narrative. There is a lot going on in these five chapters, especially the impending alignment. Something that doesn't ever really make it into the narrative is the fact that the oracles were once promised that in each reincarnation, they would find their one true love (that would be Genbu and Byakko, Seiryu and Suzaku). Never before has any incarnation had an objection to fulfilling their sacred duty because they were always with the one they loved. That's not the case this time around. I just want to be clear that Aneko is _not_ being forced into anything. She is pressured, yes, but the decision to go forward or not is solely hers, and whatever she chooses will be respected regardless of the consequences. ~Sapphire

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Update6-10-13: Its been a _long_ time, I know. I'm fiddling with this chapter to see if I can fix my formatting problems. Here goes… ~Sapphire

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Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Twenty-three ~ The Gods Align

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Sitting beneath the tree beside the brook, Aneko was deep in worried thought. The Alignment was only another day away, and she grew more tense and fearful by the minute. She balled her hands into fists and hit them against the cool grass in frustration. How was she going to get through this? She felt deflated and slumped back against the trunk of the tree. Her hands flopped down beside her, and her fingers brushed against something. She glanced down at the ground beside her. A scroll lay quite forgotten in the grass. Marise's scroll.

Aneko was mesmerized by it. She hadn't realized she'd brought it out with her. Her fingers brushed the smooth parchment, and she hesitated. After a moment she picked it up, and with a deep breath, began to unfurl it. The time had come to read it.

" '_How I came to be in Konankoku. My name is Tamagawa Marise. I am Suzaku no Orakuru. _

" '_I knew Minoru before coming to Konankoku. I've loved him since I first set eyes on him. That day, so long ago it seems now, I just knew fate had made us cross paths. We were introduced some days later. I knew he felt what I did. He knew as well as I that our meeting was meant to happen. Then I was brought to this world by Suzaku. He left me at the foot of Mt. Daikyouku where Byakko no Orakuru found me. She brought me to Yoko-kun who lived in the shining palace atop the mountain. When I arrived, Genbu no Orakuru was there, and with him was my Minoru. I was so happy to see him in this world, too._

" '_That was the day Yoko-kun explained I was Suzaku no Orakuru, and Minoru was Seiryu no Orakuru. She explained that our coming here was destiny, as was our meeting in our own world. The oracles of Suzaku and Seiryu had been promised, long ago in the very beginning, they would find each other in every reincarnation for eternity. This was a gift in return for the gift we must give every five hundred years._

" '_Every five hundred years the oracles are called back to this world, just before the stars of the four gods align in the sky. On the night of the alignment, the oracles of Suzaku and Seiryu must join together in body, as well as in spirit. Through us, the gods we serve conceive an infant being. The oracles of Genbu and Byakko must do the same. When Suzaku no Orakuru and Byakko no Orakuru give birth to these two infants, they must hand them over to the entities that reside above and beneath Mt. Daikyouku. One infant is male, one female. This is constant, as one will someday become Yin, and the other Yang. On the day of their birth, the old Yin and Yang will die. To replace them will be their servants, the young Yin and Yang who have been training for five hundred years. The two new controllers will take the infants and train them to take their places five hundred years later when the Oracles come again. This ensures the continuance of this world._

" '_Yoko-kun's time is nearly up. Soon she will die when my babe and Byakko's babe are born. Then her assistant, Taiitsu, will be the controller, and she will take the two infants. One will become her assistant. The other will go to the Yang who dwells beneath the mountain._

" '_I understand, now, why the gods made their promise to the oracles in the very beginning. The gift Minoru and I give this world is a precious one, indeed. I have grown fond of my babe, though it is not yet born, and it will be a difficult thing to give it up, for both myself and my Minoru…' "_

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…...

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Standing atop the wall, Kouji looked out over the darkening pass between Mt. Leikaku and Mt. Kaou. There was no one on the road, not a single trader to be seen. There hadn't been any traders for weeks. That, and the reports he regularly received from Satoshi confirmed his suspicions. Those mercs were keeping the trade route closed. The devil-woman was trying to squeeze the life out of the Leikaku Bandits. She wasn't going to succeed, though.

She didn't realize they had more than one way off the mountain. On two sides of Mt. Leikaku were sheer cliffs. No one could pass them. A third side was barren rock, prone to mud slides in rain and rock slides at the slightest disturbance. The easiest way up was the fourth way up, through the pass. By all reasonable logic, that was the only access to the high top of Mt. Leikaku. The bandits knew better. There was a trail that wound along the steep cliff on the Konan side of the mountain. There was a treacherous, but navigable, stretch down along the cliff before leveling off in the foothills. Starting out in early morning, they could be down in the foothills by late afternoon, and into Shinkouyama by sunset.

From Satoshi's reports, the devil-woman and her would-be army didn't know of the existence of this second path down the mountain. Kouji wanted to keep it that way as he and his men were making good use of the secret trail. He already had scant patrols scouting the foothills for any sign of the merc patrols. The Leikaku patrols had discovered that the mercs made regular passes through the foothills on the Konan side of the mountain. Odd, though, they took the same path each time, and seemed to have no real purpose other than to make a loop through the lower hills and head back through the pass. Kouji wanted to know why.

"We need ta know," Kouji said. Satoshi nodded. "It's a new moon tonight. You'll have cover of darkness. Use it, Satoshi. Find out what those mercs and that devil woman are up to."

"Got it," Satoshi said.

"One more thing," Kouji added, grabbing Satoshi's arm to detain him. Satoshi looked up, ready for his orders. "Don't do nothin' stupid. Yer the best spy we got. Can't afford ta lose ya. We ain't got anyone ta replace ya. Got it?" Satoshi looked at him a long moment, then nodded.

"I got it covered, Kouji," Satoshi said. "I'll be back, and I'll be back with what you wanna know." With that, Satoshi disappeared into the growing shadows.

Kouji looked down into the stronghold. He had an odd sense of foreboding, despite the signs of recovery all around him. The wall was finished, strong and able to stand up to a good beating. The gates were in place, stronger and improved from the gates that stood before the Devil-woman and her hired mercenaries destroyed the place. The new plans for the barn Jiro drew up had been more like a mini stronghold. He'd made separate areas for animals and men, all under one roof. And when the new stronghold was built the next summer, the quarters the men used would be easily converted into space for stabling animals and storing tack equipment, hay, armaments, and anything else they could think of. The men had been working hard to put the building up, what with the autumn so close, and winter chasing it's heels.

All the rebuilding, and still Kouji felt something terrible was about to happen. He shook his head and climbed down off the wall. There wasn't much he could see, now that the sun was down. There would be no moon to light the night.

"Kouji," Tohru said, walking up from the direction of the campfires.

"I wish Kaneto would get back with Genrou," Kouji said.

"They'll come," Tohru said.

"But when, damn it," Kouji demanded irritably. "This ain't no rival bandit gang we're dealing with."

"We can hold 'em off," Tohru said with certainty. "We can hold 'em off as long as we have ta, until Genrou gets back." Kouji was just going to have to have faith that Tohru was right.

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…...

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"So you did come after all," Danno said, getting up from the edge of the bed. Aneko watched him walk toward her from the doorway, the long blue silk robe he wore trailing behind him. She swallowed, suddenly feeling very out of place.

"I told you, I won't fail Suzaku," Aneko replied, crossing her arms over her chest, feeling uncomfortable in her own red silk robe. Danno stopped his advance a few feet short of her.

"Have you reconsidered my proposal?" he asked. "There's still time for us to be married." She shook her head.

"No, I won't marry you." They stared at one another for a long time. Finally Aneko turned toward the door and stepped out of the room. "I brought something," she said, reaching beyond Danno's line of sight. "I asked Taiitsukun, and she said it would be all right if I brought some wine." Danno looked a little surprised as she stepped back into the room holding two little china cups in one hand and an old flask of wine in the other. Danno stepped around her and slid the door shut, locking it as he did so. Aneko started ever so slightly at the click made as the lock was set.

"I'll take that," Danno said, relieving Aneko of the flask and cups. "It was a nice gesture." He set the cups on a table against the wall and opened the flask, pouring out the wine. He carried a cup to Aneko, and she took it from him.

"It's a peace offering," Aneko explained. "This is hard enough for us as it is. I want to concentrate only on the here and now."

"I'll drink to that," Danno said, taking a swallow of his wine. Aneko tipped back her glass as well, not stopping until it was empty. "Whoa, whoa," Danno exclaimed, "Easy on that stuff." He took her cup from her. "You'll get drunk and you'll regret it in the morning." Aneko sighed and walked over to the open window, leaned on the sill, and looked out over the mystical mountain.

"I know, I'm just so nervous. This isn't what I thought it would be like. I thought it would be more...special." Danno put the two cups down by the flask and stepped up behind Aneko, slipping his arms around her.

"Hey," he said soothingly, "You don't have to be afraid of me. I'm not going to hurt you. I love you, remember?" he hugged her to him as they silently watched the sun slowly slip beneath the horizon in a brilliant display of red and orange light.

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…...

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To be continued…

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End Notes: I hope you've enjoyed this post. That's it for now. More chapters coming at you soon (We all hope, anyway). ~Sapphire

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Update 6-10-13: What's with all the dots? I can't make my .wps documents appear correctly online. This has been my problem for, well, years. I'm hoping the dots will preserve my line spacing. This had better work… ~Sapphire


	24. Part Twenty-Four: Oracle's Destiny

Disclaimer: FY is not mine.

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Warnings: Still an adult situation. Nothing graphic. Rated PG-13.

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Notes: So, after years, I give you… an update! New Chapter! ~Sapphire (6-10-13)

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Oracles of the Four Gods

Oracle's Destiny

By: Sapphire

Part Twenty-four ~ Oracle's Destiny

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"Danno?" Aneko asked quietly. She didn't want silence. Silence only gave her active mind a chance to dwell on the inevitable.

"Yes?" Danno replied.

"How did you know we were in trouble? That day at the lake?"

"You mean the rock demon?" Danno asked. Aneko nodded. "I know everything where you're concerned," he said.

"Everything?" Aneko asked. "How?"

"We're connected, you and I," Danno said. "You've felt it, too. I know you have." She looked over her shoulder to give him a quizzical look. "I'm always aware of you. I know your emotional state just by thinking about you. Sometimes, like that day, I don't have to think of you at all. I just knew you were afraid, and in desperate need of help."

"How did you know where I was? How did you get there so quickly?" Aneko had no reason to doubt him. She'd felt that connection, just as he'd said. A blue life energy among a sea of red. Only then she'd thought she was crazy hearing his voice when she believed Danno was dead.

"An odd coincidence," Danno said with a shrug. "I was in the mountains. I'd sensed some odd things there." He fell silent a moment, but continued before Aneko could formulate a question to his statements. "When you were testing that connection between us, I felt you. I called to you. Did you hear me?" Aneko could only nod dumbly. "That's when I knew you were close by. I was hoping we could meet. I missed you so much. I had just come through the pass when I was hit with a sense of your fear. Ashitare had incredible endurance. I actually ran all the way to the lake." Aneko looked up at him in wonder.

"You arrived just in time," she said, slipping her hand into one of his. "Thank-you, Danno. Truly. I don't know what would have happened to us if you hadn't come." Danno only stared past her out the window. "I'm sorry things went so badly."

"I am, too," he said. "I'm sorry I hurt you." Danno's arms tightened briefly around her, then he fell silent. Aneko knew he meant it, and she could think of nothing more to say on the matter without dredging up bad feelings and hurtful memories. She turned back to gazing out the window. Danno still held her loosely in his arms, and together they watched the stars appear one by one. The four brightest stars drew her attention the moment they appeared in the darkening sky, and she knew Danno's gaze was fixed to them as well. Time was running out, and there was still one thing she needed to air with Seiryu no Orakuru.

"Danno?" Aneko asked softly.

"Hmm?" he responded absently.

"Marise kept a diary of sorts," Aneko said. Danno rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I know that name," he said.

"Marise was Suzaku no Orakuru before me," Aneko said.

"She is you, and you were her," Danno said. Aneko nodded.

"Your name was-"

"Minoru," Danno finished. "I remember now."

"Marise really loved Minoru," Aneko told him. "They were very happy together."

"We could be happy, too," Danno said hopefully. Aneko shook her head.

"Not us, Danno," she told him firmly. "But I was thinking…"

"About?" Danno prompted.

"I have Marise's memories. I remember how she felt about Minoru. I remember how he felt about her. But you and I…friendship is the only true feeling I've ever felt for you. You feel far more strongly than that. I don't think we can make a spiritual connection as things stand."

"What do you mean?" Danno sounded a little suspicious to Aneko's ears.

"What if we let Marise and Minoru have another night together?" Aneko suggested quietly. "I am her reincarnation. I can become Marise. You could do the same…" Aneko suddenly felt unsure of herself. Perhaps this idea wasn't so good as she'd thought. But the idea hadn't been all hers. Chiriko's symbol had appeared on her foot as she was meditating during the ritual preparations for the alignment, and a young voice echoed in her head with the answers she had been searching for. Chiriko had been sure it would work. Aneko reminded herself she had no cause for doubt.

Danno was horrified at the very idea, so horrified he actually took a step back, releasing his gentle hold on Aneko. Marise and Minoru were _dead_. They had been dead for five hundred years- at least in this world they had been. Danno refused to even think of pretending to be a dead man on this of all nights. Despite what he had told Aneko, he wanted this night with all his soul, wanted Aneko to really become his.

It had become very clear to Danno that he was losing Aneko. What was unclear, was the reason why. Aneko claimed she was not in love with him any longer- never had been in love with him- but Danno knew that wasn't so. They had been happy before he had been brought to this strange and ancient world. Some time between that moment and the moment they reunited under the illusion spell, something had changed with Aneko.

Aneko was convinced it was the Mikos' actions in sealing Suzaku and Seriyu that had caused the problems they now faced. In many respects she was right, but Danno had thought a great deal about what Aneko had told him, and come to a somewhat different conclusion. Lady Yui and Lady Miaka had indeed broken the bond between the oracles of Seriyu and Suzaku, but not until _after_ they had met in the modern world.

Danno knew with unflagging certainty that they had been drawn together by that very bond. He had no doubt he and Aneko would never have met otherwise. They had not, however, been together long when the seals were placed upon the two beast gods. Something had…shifted within Danno's very soul in the moment that Seriyu was sealed away. Danno now understood what that shifting had been- that was the moment his eternal bond to Suzaku no Orakuru had been broken.

The loss of the bond had not affected Danno over much. He had fallen in love with Aneko despite their bond. He wanted to be with Aneko for the person she was in this incarnation, not just because she was Suzaku no Orakuru. And he himself loved her, _as_ himself, not as Seiryu no Orakuru. Danno loved her with every fiber of his being. The trouble was, she was telling him that she did not return the sentiment.

But why? They had been together for years after the bond had been broken. Up until the night he had been brought into this world, Aneko had been a happy bride-to-be. What had changed so dramatically in the month that he had been in the Universe of the Four Gods before she was also brought here? How had things deteriorated so badly between them?

"I can feel what Marise felt for Minoru," Aneko said when Danno had been silent too long, "but I can't feel for you what you feel for me. I can't see any other way to assure the spiritual connection," Aneko explained. "Not while I'm feeling the way I do. Suzaku's power is driven by emotion, and my own emotions are too unstable to accomplish that kind of affinity. But as Marise and Minoru…" She took a deep breath before continuing, "If we attempt this now, as I feel now, we will surely fail and it'll be my fault. I can't fail, Danno. I just can't."

As confused and hurt as he was, Danno understood that much, at least. Failure was not an option. Duty had to come first. He knew that as well as she.

Danno still didn't like this. He didn't want to sacrifice this chance with Aneko. He had hoped he might be able to convince her to come back to him. It seemed that if he could only prove how right they were for each other, she would welcome him back into her heart. How better to do that than to fulfill their destinies, together, just as they had time and again for millennia?

He knew, however, that he and Aneko had grown too far apart to come together spiritually, as was required by destiny. Though he loathed to admit it, he could see no better way to solve their situation than disposing of their volatile emotions by removing themselves from the equation. Having been Minoru and Merise in a past incarnation they could, in essence, become them once again. Danno would simply have to sacrifice his own desires for his duty.

"We'll have to," Danno said after a long time, stepping forward to take her into his arms again. "I can't fail any more than you can."

"No, you can't," Aneko agreed, slipping her hand into his once again. It felt comforting to her to have him so near, to find a moment of peace, however fleeting.

"You and I will connect on the same level," Danno finished after a long moment, "because their feelings for each other were mutual." Aneko was relieved that he finally understood the motivation behind her solution. Danno sighed. "I wish-" Danno started, but then fell silent.

"What do you wish?" Aneko asked. Danno held her tighter.

"I wish it could be us and not them."

"It would be better if it were us," Aneko said honestly. "I just don't think it would work this time. I can't deny my true feelings. To lie would destroy everything. These feelings of Marise's, even though they echo from centuries ago, at least they're real and true." They stood there, in silence, as together they watched the stars of the Four Gods move into perfect alignment.

"It's time now," Danno whispered into Aneko's ear.

"I'm so scared," Aneko confessed, trembling, unable to tear her eyes from the horizon. Danno hugged her tighter.

"Don't be," he whispered before trailing light, hesitant kisses down her neck, gently lowering the shoulder of her red silk robe. Aneko swallowed, trying to remind herself why she was there. She had promised Suzaku she would not fail. Without warning, Danno scooped her up into his arms and held her. She looked nervously into his patient face, his green eyes shining with the love he felt for her. It pulled at her heart strings, but it didn't change anything between them. He carried her to the bed and set her gently on it, then climbed over her to lay on the other side of her. He propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at her. "Don't worry about a thing," he murmured. "I'll take care of you." He leaned down and found her lips with his. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye and slowly trailed down her cheek. She allowed herself one last thought before embracing her destiny.

"_Chichiri_..._I'm sorry_!"

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…...

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Chichiri started. He looked around his room but no one was there. "_Strange_," he thought. "_I thought I heard someone talking to me_." He got up from the floor where he'd been meditating. He stepped outside his door and found Tasuki looking very bored, hanging over the railing of the pavilion walkway. "Say, Tasuki," Chichiri asked. The bandit raised a questioning eyebrow. "Did you hear anything just now?"

"No," Tasuki vented. "Why? Do you sense another demon?" Tasuki looked just a little over zealous to Chichiri.

"No," he replied hastily, calming Tasuki down. "I just thought, well, never mind, no da." Chichiri stepped up to the railing and gazed up at the sky. Tasuki watched him a minute before turning his gaze upwards as well. "The Four Gods have aligned," Chichiri said, watching the four stars sparkle in line with one another.

"I wonder if Aneko is watching this," Tasuki said.

"Maybe," was all Chichiri could say.

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…...

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To be continued…

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End Notes: I'd really like to give you more than one chapter, it's been _sooooo_ long. I'm not going to, though. I think I've finally got this formatting thing figured out. That said, there should be more chapters coming this summer. Watch for them! ~Sapphire

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